Lunière
by siDEADde
Summary: TW/MS Alice's POV. Canon "Where Jasper and I were halves of the same whole, Edward and I were the same half. We understood each other more than the family understood us."
1. Huis Clos

**Disclaimer: Characters and most of the dialogue are not mine. Hooray for the awesomeness that is Stephenie Meyer.**

**_Update: Chapter 1 has been beta'ed. I'm hoping it is improved. Thank you so much to Eowyn77. Her stories are so much better than mine._**

Huis clos

_Edward_. I thought desperately.

He inclined his head slightly, acknowledging my thoughts, but didn't take his eyes from the wall.

_How is he holding up_?

The corners of his mouth briefly curved down, and a panicky feeling arose in my mind. I tried to glance at Jasper without moving my head. Future boredom in French flashes in my head, followed by the agonizing monotone of Murphy's AP American history lecture soon to come. I can't see anything concrete about Jasper; I guess it's good he hasn't decided to kill anyone yet.

_Is there any danger?_

While scanning, I saw nothing but ennui and chattering humans. Edward seemed to follow a crack on the ceiling very slowly to the left and right, a subtle shake of the head. Relief flooded my mind, and the scenes faded. The torture Jasper was enduring must be maddening for Edward. It's hard enough to control your own burning thirst; shouldering someone else's load is unimaginable.

_Let me know if it gets too bad._

His eyes glance up to the ceiling and back down, a nod only I notice. I owed him, but I didn't think about it. A favor of this magnitude required proper thanks, gifts even. There was no time for me to contemplate my gratitude gifts now, however. Edward would peek; and I had Jasper to concern myself over.

_Thanks for doing this._

The cafeteria was full of potential tragedies, and Jasper was on the verge of committing one. Nothing concrete was coming to me though, except…like a break in programming, suddenly I see Jasper get up and go to the little human who stopped to talk near the end of our table. Her short hair did nothing to hide her vulnerable neck from his razor kiss. I was about to lean forward and grab his hand, when I felt the jolt of Edward kicking his chair. The less-than-heartfelt apology and quick glare he leveled on Edward, betrayed his thoughts.

"You weren't going to do anything,_" _I whispered to him, trying to ease his embarrassment. "I could see that._"_

I caught Edward's fleeting look as he tried to avoid giving my lie away.

"It helps if you think of them as people," I explained swiftly, much too quick for a human eavesdropper to understand. "Her name is Whitney, and she has a baby sister she adores. Her mother invited Esme to that garden party, do you remember?"

"I know who she is," Jasper snapped.

Agony for him welled up inside me; he wouldn't speak to me like that if he weren't fighting every moment with his nature. It came so much easier for me than the others. I think sometimes Jasper resented me for it. He didn't need me here, now, scrutinizing his every move. Edward even seemed to be annoyed with me. With a sigh, I got up and dumped my uneaten lunch. I knew he would follow when the others left. Even his anger and resentment wouldn't keep him from me for long. I can see him already, as we stand waiting for Matthews to unlock the classroom, his arm against the wall, leaning in to kiss my cheek. He will whisper his regrets about his previous tone, and I will forgive him before he asks. He loves me too much to hold me responsible for his anguish. I love him too much to give up on what could be a lost cause. If we are damned, at least we are damned together.

Jasper is all I had ever known. His angel's face was my first light when everything else was darkness and pain. He was so beautiful in my first memory that I didn't think he could have been real. I was terrified that the all-consuming burn of thirst would scorch the image of his face from my mind, but his face never left me. From the moment he took my hand we have been soul-bound. I would be lost without him. He has changed his whole existence for me, and has never once complained. He could easily make me feel his agonizing self-denial, but instead carries the burden alone. I wonder who I am to be deserving of someone so self-sacrificing.

My troubled musings brought me to the classroom door. The language arts hallway filled with milling humans. The crowded hallways were Jasper's worst temptation. I closed my eyes and looked for him. Thankfully, I see Emmett has decided to escort Jasper to me. I owe him now too. Sighing, I opened my eyes and watched as my beloved lithely turned the corner and walked as close to the wall as possible, trailing his fingers along the dull bricks. I waved to Emmett letting him know I could take it from here. Jasper rested his forearm against the wall and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"I shouldn't have spoken to you like that, Lis," murmured Jasper, his lips brushing my jaw in a rare public show of affection, "You deserve better…"

His guilt must have been incredible because he never uses my pet name in front of anyone. He was embarrassed to be too emotional in front of others, especially Emmett. He was sensitive to a fault, and didn't take to teasing about anything that had to do with me. If Emmett knew Jasper had a nickname for me he would torment him, mercilessly. Emmett's idea of a joke often revolved around making someone else uncomfortable, be it physically or emotionally. Only Edward knew, and he has always been considerate enough to pretend he didn't. I silenced Jasper with a kiss, and let my eyes smile to show him all is forgiven. The irritated face of Mr. Matthews flashes in my head; he can see us from down the hall and has decided to give us a piece of his mind. Jasper felt the smirk pulling at the corner of my mouth, and deepened the kiss for show. I was surprised, but couldn't resist. We never do this, this high school hormonal behavior. The kiss stifled a giggle about to erupt at the scene that unfolds in my head. Matthews is going to start shouting in a minute…

"Cullen, Hale, this is neither the time nor the place!"

I break off the kiss and the vision fades. Jasper sighs in resignation and restraint.

"Alice, I wanted to…"

"I forgive you already, Jazz. I know it's not you talking. It's just going to take some time."

The smile he bestowed upon me is so beautiful it almost breaks my heart. Jasper so very rarely smiles, especially during our school charade. The constant battle he fought with his instincts required all of his focus. I wish I could take it from him, this burden I have chosen to put upon the two of us. He was so much bigger than I, had so much more physical strength, but we both knew I am stronger when it comes to being around humans.

"I love you Lis. I'll see you after class."

He leaned down once more, right as Matthews approached, and kissed me. Immediately I see Matthews will report to the principal after school about the PDA in the English and foreign language hallway. I accepted the farewell kiss because I needed the reassurance it brought me. Concerned, however, about the unwanted attention it would bring to the others, I was going to need damage control. Jasper pulled away and offered an apologetic shrug to an annoyed Mr. Matthews. I caught Jasper's eyes and nodded meaningfully towards the aggravated teacher. There were times when Jasper's ability to manipulate emotions was a godsend. Matthews visibly relaxed and the office scene came to me again: he is still complaining about teenagers "necking" in the halls but does not mention that it was the perfect _Cullen_ kids. I thanked Jasper with a grateful smile, and he winked at me as he turned to walk to class. My anxiety for him returned as soon as he was out of sight, and I tried to settle into my seat.

AP French, for the third time. I figured since I was in Spanish 5 the last time we masqueraded as high school students, I should give French another go. Matthews' accent was atrocious, but his grammar was as flawless as mine. Occasionally, when he called on me, I was careful to mispronounce something so he felt significant. Unlike the majority of the teachers, he wasn't pleased by the success of the Cullen clan. He itched at any opportunity to prove we weren't perfect. He was lucky I find amusement in the visions of his banal home life when he chose to tell his wife about the little grammar mistake Alice Cullen made in class. It was odd that this is one of the few things that gave him pleasure.

The practice test that we were given was barely a distraction, thankfully. I could focus all of my attention towards Jasper. The visions fuzzed in: he decides he can hold out no longer, he must hunt. One moment I see him racing through the forest, whisper-soft through the trees, the next he is calm and satiated, laying next to me on an outcropping of rock, stargazing.

"That's it Jazz," I murmured to myself, "We will go this evening…you'll be fine for the rest of the day."

"Miss Cullen, veux-tu dire quelque chose?"

Dammit, that man.

"Non, merci Monsieur. J'ai parlé à moi-même."

"Fais attention!"

"Oui Monsieur, je m'excuse"

I saw the petty triumph in his eyes, and for a brief moment I considered telling him exactly what I thought about him in every language I knew. I imagined Carlisle's patient voice, reminding me about tolerance towards those with short lives. "_They can't help themselves."_ Suddenly a blinding flash of violence and pain crashes my reverie. I jump at the screaming and butchery in my head..._Oh no, please no, Jasper._The vision was so appalling I almost begged out loud. It was like a flipbook, one stillshot, then another, and another in flashing, gory animation. The students who are still alive are too horrorstruck to move, their faces stippled with blood. Several others are face-down on tables, necks bent at unnatural angles. I brought my fist to my mouth to stifle a groan.

The scene cuts off, like a curtain being dropped on a horrific performance. B_e strong Jasper, please, please, please. _He must have changed his mind…why else would it have stopped? Where is Edward? He must have seen what Jasper was thinking of doing. Frantically, I strained to see what ending to prepare for. The vision was foggy; even though I was focusing everything I had on him. I see a novel resting inside of a textbook, a trick as old as formal education. The tattered cover and yellowing pages give the book away. I know what he will read, and why. I imagine the quote he will examine, over and over. The quote he always whispers to me when he's had a hard day: "De la bonne volonté…Où voulez-vous que j'en prenne? Je suis pourri_." _The French is so familiar to me I see it as English: "Human feeling. That's beyond my range. I'm rotten to the core." He has decided to use literature and self-loathing as a distraction. Since his French is abysmal, his choice of reading material should hold his attention. I see no more violence, just melancholy and burning thirst. He will meet me after class with hungry eyes, his jaw tension-set. We will hunt tonight.


	2. The Girl

**Disclaimer : Characters don't belong to me, although I wish Alice did. Y'all can have moody old Edward! Hooray for the awesomeness that is Stephenie Meyer!**

The Girl

"Imagine, if you will, the difficulties during the 20's," droned Mr. Murphy, "Black Tuesday and the devaluation of the Mark in Germany were the …"

Imagine…I almost snort. I don't have to imagine those times. I can actually remember what I was doing when brokers were throwing themselves out of windows in 1929. This man has sucked all the life out of, what was, an amazing time to live. Last week our class project was to present information from the roaring 20's from the perspective of someone who lived then. It was ridiculously easy, so the perfect score I received on the assignment didn't come as a surprise. I didn't even need a vision to see the A+ Murphy put into his grade book. Jasper was impressed. When he was in AP American History last year he only got a 95 on his Civil War project. Ironically, Murphy thought the uniform Jasper wore during his presentation wasn't accurate, and docked him 5 for the lack of authenticity. He's still the most recent family joke, the first one of us to not have a 100 in a class.

As I suppressed a smile, I scanned ahead for him. His refusal to rematch Emmett is going to cause a lot of grumbling, and Esme is going to have to step in to tell Emmett to lay off. He's going to get two deer and a wild cat tonight, and we are going to reminisce about the night sky without light pollution. The bell broke the sleepy classroom into a flurry of activity. I rushed a bit so that I could catch Jasper before he got too deep into the crowded hallway; he could better control himself if I was near. I tried to see over the heads of the milling students. Curses on my parents and their apparent short stature! I couldn't see a damn thing.

"I'm right here baby," he whispered from behind me, leaning down to entwine his fingers into mine, "I can do it, but lets hurry please."

The anxious look on my face must worry him. He didn't mention his book at all, although he knows I think it's cute when he tries to speak French. That southern accent just garbles it all up.

"What were you thinking earlier!? I had the most horrible visualization; there was so much blood and screaming. I almost ran out of Matthews' class to try to stop you!"

He looks at me with confusion in his coal black eyes.

"That wasn't me, Lis. I was being good…you know, Sartre and all."

"You don't have to pretend around me, Jazz. Even if something terrible were to happen, I would still love you. Nothing could make me stop loving you. I would know you tried, and that you tried for me."

"Alice"

Now he sounded slightly affronted.

"It wasn't me. The only decisions I made were to ignore Varmer and go hunting tonight with the woman I love. I don't know what tripped off your freaky little brain."

As he gave me his explanation, he slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. I frowned, but at my recollection of my vision, not at his gentle teasing. He misread my expression, because he immediately started apologizing.

"Jeez, Lis, I can't say anything right today, can I? You know I didn't mean…"

"I'm not upset at you, I'm just irritated. It was a horrible thing to see…so real. I've been anticipating screams since. If it were a "freaky little brain thing" as you so kindly put it," I jokingly tried to pull away, "I'd like to cancel my subscription. I hate false alarms"

Our conversation carried us all the way to Edward's shiny gray Volvo without so much as one strained reflex from Jasper. Rosalie was sitting shotgun, the visor down and mirror open to reflect her already perfectly made-up face. Emmett, standing beside to open back door, called out the rematch challenge. Jasper instantly shook his head. I rolled my eyes. I don't want to listen to their bickering all the way home.

"Move it Rose,"

I whipped open the passenger-side door, and stared expectantly. I doubted she would give up the seat without a fight.

" You're kidding me Alice. I'm not riding home between those squabbling fools. Plus, you fit between them better than I do."

"Oh get off it, Rose. You just don't want to mess up your hair. Move it. You got to ride up here on the way. Don't make me do anything drastic!"

I mimed scissors cutting her hair. She visibly paled, and huffed her way out of the car. With a satisfied smirk, I settled into the seat. Reaching over, I popped my spare key into the ignition and turned the on the radio. Leaning back, I closed my eyes as the music washed over me. I felt the car rock as Emmett planted his giant frame into the backseat. He called for Rosalie to get in so that Jasper could shut the door. Now we just needed Edward.

"So Alice, did you hear that the new girl is already asking about us? She hasn't even been here a whole day yet."

Emmett has one volume…LOUD.

"No Emmett, I didn't hear that. What does she think about us?" I replied in a low tone in the hopes that he will take the hint.

"Um, I..don't…know."

My eyes flew open immediately at his confused tone.

"Well, didn't Edward tell you?"

"No, he just shrugged when I asked him. Now Jasper, about that rematch you owe me…"

Emmett was so easily distracted. Edward probably did tell him, but his one-track mind was too focused on pinning Jasper tonight. I relaxed again, lost in the ebb and flow of the music. Unexpectedly, the door flew open. All three of us startled at the sudden light that entered the car. Edward slid into the driver's seat, panting like a human marathon runner. Instantly I'm caught by an overwhelming apprehension. Jasper wasn't lying. It wasn't him I had seen as the cause of the carnage. Of course. How could have missed it? Why didn't I think to look ahead for the others? But Edward? I would have never considered Edward to be in jeopardy of losing control. My eyes closed, I tried to remember what I had seen. Blood everywhere, screams cut off at their peak by razor-sharp teeth, the chaos and fear. What could have possibly driven my brother to even think of committing such an atrocity?

"Edward?"

As if Edward's gasping breaths weren't enough, my tone captured the attention of the entire back seat. I was going to continue, but he shook his head at me realizing my mistake.

"What the hell happened to you?" clamored Emmett, forgetting his demand for retribution.

Edward didn't answer. He cranked my key in the ignition, and jammed the car into gear. I could sense Rosalie cringe in the backseat as the gears crashed together, transmission whining. He whipped the car out of the parking space at a crazy speed, and made it to the road before most of the students had a chance to even get in their cars. Quickly I looked ahead to be sure we weren't going to get a speeding ticket, or cited for reckless driving. Nothing. Good thing too, because Edward already had the car doing seventy. I doubt I could have stopped him if I tried. I could feel all eyes in the backseat staring at me, waiting for an explanation. I shrugged for their benefit, but I was already looking ahead for Edward. I see miles of lonely road, his empty room, his missing car. The sense of loss is almost overwhelming, I don't trust my voice.

"You're leaving?" I whisper.

All eyes in the backseat shift to Edward now, searching for confirmation and explanation.

"Am I?" He hissed through clenched teeth.

The changing vision becomes so barbarous, so uncharacteristically base of Edward that I am rendered speechless. A girl, the new girl, eyes devoid of life. Charlie Swan distraught, looking for his daughter's killer. Carlisle and Esme torn between apprehension for our family, and distress with Edward's folly. The scene sharpens, I see an unfamiliar room. Yellow cabinets, it's a kitchen. The Swan girl inside, oblivious to her certain demise. Edward is crouched in the shadows, her blood calling to him, impossible to resist. He moves to spring…

"Stop!" He groans, tortured as I am by the visualization. I saw him fighting to control the demons.

"Sorry," I whispered, almost panting myself.

I closed my eyes once more and the previous scene returns, an empty highway bordered by snow and forests. Scenery flying by at a breakneck pace, my heart grieves.

"I will miss you," I fought the catch in my throat, "No matter how short a time you are gone."

I felt Emmett turn to Rosalie, and Jasper surreptitiously reached for my hand hidden near the passenger door. Edward had to tell Carlisle himself; Esme was going to be difficult enough for us to handle alone. She loved us all, but there was a special place in her heart for Edward.

"Drop us here," I ordered as we approached the well hidden drive, "You should tell Carlisle yourself."

He nodded in agreement and locked the brakes. Emmett, Rose, and Jasper filed out of the car waiting expectantly for me to tell them what was going on. Edward needed my strength, he would decide right, I felt sure. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"You –will- do the right thing," I command him in a whisper, "She's Charlie Swan's only family. It would kill him too."

His agreement to only the last part of my statement worried me. I didn't bother to hide the anxiety on my face as I slid out of the car. I could feel the lump rising in my throat, and I almost threw myself in front of the car to stop him. Jasper came up behind me, arm sliding across my collarbone, and rested his chin lightly on my head.

"Let him go Lis, you can't save him any better than he can save himself. If this is what he has to do, then he has to do it."

The four of us morosely started for the house as Edward turned the car back towards town. The Volvo fishtailed from the violent acceleration and I watched the glowing tail lights, so much like Edward's violent eyes in my vision, fade into the distance. The begging I did in school seemed to work, so I tried it again. Be strong Edward, please, please, please. I steeled myself for the flood of images that I know would soon be bombarding me.


	3. Heartache

**Disclaimer : Characters don't belong to me, although I wish Alice did. Y'all can have moody old Edward! Hooray for the awesomeness that is Stephenie Meyer!**

Heartache

They all looked at me expectantly, but I was in no mood to elucidate.

"Alice, what's going on? What happened?" Rosalie sounded concerned. It took me a minute to realize that the concern was uncharacteristically for someone else. I shook my head at her, doubting I would be able to clarify without dissolving into tearless sobs.

"Let her go Rose, she'll explain to all of us at the house. No sense in making her tell it twice." I smiled thankfully at Emmett, knowing Rosalie would listen to him. In an effort to keep the mood light, he swept Rosalie up, kissed the pouting frown from her face, and then challenged us to a race home. Everyone tried to play the part, but I could tell no one's heart was in the competition. I started to run, but the scenes that started to flash in my mind were so intense that I had trouble keeping up with the others. Jasper noticed I had slowed, and he dropped back to stand with me.

"Alice, what can I do?" he begged, "I can't handle you feeling like this without wanting to soothe you, to take it from you. Can I do that for you just this once?"

I shook my head, although the offer was so tempting. I didn't know how his emotional control would affect my sight. I couldn't afford to lose track of Edward now. Jasper sighed in resignation. I could see that our evening plans had changed as well, I just hadn't told him yet. Jasper will be hunting without me tonight. I will be camping out at the Swan residence just in case Edward changed his mind.

_"_Jazz…I… I'm not coming with you tonight._"_ I said, all in a rush, "I need to watch over the Swan girl. I do see that Edward is leaving, but I just don't trust my mind enough after my screw-up this afternoon._"_

His dejected look broke my heart a little more. Edward was capable of bruising me, but Jasper could make me bleed. I couldn't handle the strain anymore: Edward leaving, Esme's coming reaction to the news, Jasper hurting, first by my grief, now by my rejection. The visions continued to parade behind my eyes, and I just let myself crumple. Jasper caught me up in his arms before I could touch the ground. The sense of calm that flowed through me as I leaned into him was blessed relief.

_"_Boy aren't we touchy-feely today,_" _I tranquilly observed,_" _I wonder if anyone else noticed._" _

"I can't help it when you're sad, Alice. Your unhappiness is like a thousand days of aching thirst for me. When I touch you, it's lifted, and I feel good again."

"You can stop with the calm stuff now though, I think I can handle the real world again._"_

Jasper smiled wistfully. I still felt serene, even as I see Rosalie and Emmett will be at the house in a second, wondering where Jasper and I are. They will wait for me to tell Esme without Jasper present. We all know how sensitive he is to the emotional undercurrent, but he is especially vulnerable if I'm involved. I will order him straight to the hunt, Emmett in tow. Rosalie will be stoic enough to lean on until Carlisle arrives. I see him leaving the hospital now, claiming an emergency at home.

_"_We need to get home, Jazz._"_

He frowned, but nodded in agreement, and laced his fingers with mine. The rest of the run was quiet; I had the sneaking suspicion Jasper didn't ease up on the Mellow-aide. _Oh well_, I thought, _Let him do what he needs to get by._ The guilt I was feeling about this whole day was starting to catch up with me. The house came into view and Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme were waiting on the massive wrap-around porch. Esme looked at me concernedly. Jasper tensed by my side as we approached. The atmosphere on the porch was so electric it was tangible. I watched as everyone started to visibly relax, and I squeezed Jasper's hand.

_"_I need you to go now, Jazz. Take Emmett with you. After today we will still need to continue our daily routine, and I know the toll your abstention has taken on you. Go, hunt, and come back to me. I'll be at the Swan residence until she leaves for school tomorrow._"_

After an attempt at a halfhearted protest, he agreed. He leaned down to whisper in my ear, his lips brushing butterfly kisses against my neck.

"I love you, Lis. Please be careful."

The endearment curved my lips into a worried smile. Be careful…I wasn't the one who needed to worry about being careful. Just thinking about my brother, alone and desperate to outrun his demons, made me shudder. _Oh Edward, why did you leave? We could have helped you; we could have protected the girl._ I dragged myself from my anguish long enough kiss Jasper goodbye. The tension returned to Esme's face, and even Rosalie's calm beauty was ruffled.

"Carlisle is on the way, let's go inside and I'll tell you everything I know._"_

Esme could read the pain in my eyes, and her maternal instincts were at war with her desire to hear me out. She reached for Rosalie's hand, and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. _She's bracing herself _I thought, _She already knows it's Edward we're going to talk about._ You didn't have to be a mind reader to see she was anticipating the worst. We walked through the front door and into the formal "dining room" not that –we- ever dined there. Esme loved restorations, and she tried to ensure that we lived in a _home_, not just a building. Esme briefly squeezed me against her side, and then allowed Rosalie to lead her to an empty chair around the mahogany table. I had seen that no matter how well I explained what had happened, Esme doesn't handle it well. I attempted to organize my thoughts in spite of the whirling dervish in my head.

"Esme, Edward had to leave. He is worried that he will put us all in danger if he stays. He's going to Denali to be with Tanya and her coven._" _I spit it out in a rush unable to say anymore, waiting to see if her reaction differs from the one I had seen. Esme held out her hands to Rosalie and me. I could see she was trying to be strong for us, and the fact that I was barely holding myself together wasn't helping the situation. "There's something about the new girl, Charlie Swan's daughter, that has set him off. If he didn't leave, I saw him hunting her in her home. He almost killed her in school; I don't know what saved her. I thought Jasper was the problem…I didn't see who…_" _I was babbling now, and Esme squeezed my hand.

"Alice, you can't be perfect. We know you aren't perfect, yet we still put enormous pressure on you, don't we? "

Her words eased my mind some. My family's unwavering faith in my ability to see problems before they arise has occasionally backfired. I have told them that the future isn't static; it takes only the breeze from a butterfly's wing to change the course of a plane. I can't always see that the butterfly will make that breeze. When I do, sometimes it's too late. Plus, there are a lot of butterflies in this world; I can't watch all of them.

"Is he coming back? Will it be soon? Do you see us going to Alaska?" Esme gently pressed me for more information.

"He hasn't made a decision yet, I can't see clearly._" _I bite my lower lip in concentration, _"_I will let you know as soon as I see._"_

While my eyes are closed, I see that Carlisle will soon be pulling into the drive; he and Rosalie will take care of Esme. They will express their relief that Edward hasn't done anything to jeopardize the family, or hurt anyone from town. Carlisle will agree with me when I tell him it would be best if I go to Chief Swan's house and ensure the safety of the daughter. Jasper will meet me there and we will keep vigil until the coming sun shines the stars from the sky. I knew we would stargaze tonight, I saw it. I just didn't know it would be while acting sentry for a human girl.


	4. Bella

**Disclaimer : Characters don't belong to me, although I wish Alice did. Y'all can have moody old Edward! Hooray for the awesomeness that is Stephenie Meyer!  
**

Bella

Chief Swan's house was on the edge of town, bordering the forest. It was small, but cozy I guessed, something the silly humans seemed to enjoy. It had only two bedrooms; I assumed they were both upstairs. I could see lights on in the living room and kitchen. The yellow kitchen cupboards flashed in my mind; a single gout of blood leaving a livid scar on the sunshiny surface, Edward's baleful glare stalking the girl from the bushes. I shook my head to get rid of the horror. _It's going to be fine. Get out of the past and get in the future where you belong, dammit._ A little brain coaching never hurt anyone. This whole incident has gotten me all out of sorts.

I was curious though. Besides Carlisle and Rosalie, Edward was the best at controlling his thirst. It was a pride thing for him. He's still annoyed that Rose has a better record than he does. What was it about this little girl that almost drove him to ruin us? I figured I'd start with the kitchen, since the vision was still burning in my mind. I hopped up on the central air conditioner and peeked into the kitchen window, hoping my "hunch" was correct. It was, as usual. She was there, oblivious to my spying. She's just a little thing, hardly bigger than I, and pale…so pale. Her dark hair only emphasized her pallor, framing her face with chocolate contrast. I can see her in my mind now, fuzzy but definitely her, tipping her head and hiding behind the curtains of her hair. A small smile curved the edges of my mouth. I can imagine how she reacted to Edward. He should be used to their observations and crushes though. I know their inane prattle drives him insane, but attack the girl for her fantasy? Ridiculous. I had to be missing something.

She isn't incredibly beautiful, but there is a certain allure to her. Her face is open and honest, and her deep brown eyes match the chocolate hue of her hair. She has a strange combination of steel and softness that plays across her face. At first glance, she looks fragile, but deceptively so. She moved about the tiny kitchen with little grace, but there was something that followed her, some sort of charisma. Fascinated, I settled in to watch the little human make dinner. I couldn't believe the child could walk without falling; she tripped twice in 10 minutes both times over the same throw rug. _I don't understand Edward, why this girl?_ I thought as hard as I could, hoping that perhaps he could still hear. Maybe he would call, or just make a damned decision. The _undecidedness_ is what was making me mad. Just choose something, so I can put my mind and everyone else's at ease. I clenched my jaw in frustration. He owes me now, I'm not going to sit through this blindness and worry for nothing. I deserve Gauthier's entire spring collection for this. I made a mental note to hunt him down and settle our debts.

She came past the window to set the table, and I saw her eyes were pink and puffy from crying. For some reason, my heart went out to her. Confused, I wished Jasper would show soon. I needed a reading on the emotional tension in the air. I kept getting this strange feeling that this one needs protecting. There is something about her that screams out for refuge. Perhaps this weakness is what pushed Edward over the edge? Contempt for her frailty? Maybe his predator's instincts went into overdrive…a desire to cull the herd. I shrugged to myself. I felt no pull to end her life, and I'm the same predator he is.

"Bella! Is dinner ready? Do you need any help?"

I hear the chief call from his seat in the living room. The girl smiles and shakes her head a little, amused by something. _Bella,_ I thought to myself, _it suits her_. Not a classic beauty, but there is something striking about her. Charlie Swan came into the kitchen and put a supportive hand on her shoulder. She gave him a small weak smile.

"I know it's hard, Bells. You must be so homesick, but it will get better. You'll make new friends, and if anyone doesn't treat you right let me know. I'll take care of it.

"Oh dad, it will be fine. I know I just need some time to settle in. I would appreciate it if you let me do the cooking from now on though. No offense, but your kitchen skills leave a lot to be desired. Gimme some money and I will hit the grocery tomorrow."

Boredom set in and I closed my eyes to fast forward a bit. I'm surprised that I can see ahead for this one without burning all of my focus trying. I can rarely visualize for humans, especially those with whom I've had no contact. The image is blurry, and reminded me of an old 8mm movie projector with a bad lamp. She goes upstairs, she sleeps, she goes to school, she studies, reads, cooks and cleans. The boredom of this girl's life makes me want to stop looking. I sense an accident; trouble of some kind, but the image is too vague and shaky for me to get a good look. _"_An accident,_" _I muttered to myself,_ "_like this girl isn't an accident waiting to happen._"_ First the horror with Edward, then the inability to put one foot in front of the other. The human is a walking catastrophe. I rapped my fist against my head. _Hello in there…any plain old human could have told me that. Thanks for all your help._ I was grumbling to myself when suddenly a quick flash lets me know Jasper will be trying to sneak up on me. _He'll never learn_ I thought to myself.

"Nice try Jazz, I could hear you coming from a mile away._" _I scolded him with mock sternness, "I can't believe you can catch anything to eat being that loud._"_

His dazzling smile again, his arms reached out. I jumped into them, and covered his face with kisses. I love him so much there is almost pain. I don't know what my life would have been without him. I owed him my existence; his sweet smile pulled me through the darkness. Rainy Philadelphia comes to my mind, like a vision except from the past. It seems like just yesterday: I could hardly bear the excitement; I had waited for that day for 30 years. That is just a blink of time for me now, but then it seemed like an eternity. The moment he took my hand I was whole again. We have not been separated since. He was my first memory, and I will make sure he is my last.

"It's nice to see you too, wee one. I missed your company for dinner," Jasper winked at me, "Emmett just doesn't kiss like you do."

I bit back a laugh and settled into his lap. I rested my head back against his chest, and pulled his arms around me.

"You're just trying to make me jealous. You're tired of leaning down for kisses, I knew it! I'll get a stepstool._"_

Now it was his turn to chuckle. He leaned his head down and rested his cool cheek against mine. Sensing my improved mood, he waited patiently for an update.

"I don't know what is going on Jasper. I've watched this little girl for hours, and I don't see what his problem is. She's not a beauty, although staring at Rosalie for decades tends to make one a bit jaded. She is good looking enough for a human. She seems smart, responsible, and mature for her age. She's been crying; from homesickness I guess. The only strange thing is I was able to scan for her, amazingly clearly for a human. There was nothing remarkable about her future_."_

Jasper looked as confused as I felt. I felt him draw a quick breath as he felt for the girl's feelings.

"She's angry, Lis. Angry, but hurting. I can't tell from what without Edward here."

I rolled my eyes. Well Edward wasn't here, so we weren't going to find out. I hadn't had any flashes showing me that Edward was on his way here to kill the girl, so our time here was probably wasted. I could never be too sure though. She is an interesting little thing, this Bella Swan. I'll have to keep an eye on her at school and figure out why she was marked for death.


	5. Homecoming

**Disclaimer : Characters don't belong to me, although I wish Alice did. Y'all can have moody old Edward! Hooray for the awesomeness that is Stephenie Meyer!**

Homecoming

"Soon_,"_ I sang to my family, "He'll be here soon!_"_

The past few days had been agony without Edward. The piano sat silent. Esme moped around the house, rearranging furniture aimlessly. Carlisle threw himself into his work, spending double shifts at the hospital. Even Rosalie seemed lost with him gone. She was so used to his presence in the garage, arguing over the advantages of a manual versus automatic transmission, that she unconsciously stuck her hand out from under their restoration Shelby a time or two waiting for him to hand her a tool. Emmett wasn't his jovial self without the constant competition, and poor, sensitive Jasper was pulled down by everyone else. Only I was jubilant. I've already seen him on the road home; it will only be a matter of hours. I could barely remain still.

The purr of the Mercedes announced Edward's arrival; I practically flew to the car door.

"We've all missed you! Rosalie has had to rely on me to hand her the correct wrench. She's disappointed in my mechanical inabilities. Emmett has been trying to get Jasper to wrestle since you've left. Esme has moved the couch at least 500 times and almost dusted a groove into your piano. Even Carlisle has been avoiding being here._" _I gushed, yanking him out of the car for the biggest hug I could muster, _but I missed you most._ I couldn't disguise my elation at his homecoming. I couldn't be angry with him for the misery that had enshrouded our family like a fog. We would all treat him like the prodigal, welcoming him with open arms and forgetting any transgressions. We weren't a family without Edward.

He smiled down at me, and kissed me on the top of my head. "Thank you for the welcome, little sister. I've missed you as well. I had no one to pester me with random visions of my soon-to-be-performed actions. When I realized what I was missing I immediately headed for home." Edward turned toward the house, his arm resting on my shoulder. He leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered," I do owe you, Alice. I know what I put everyone through, especially you and Esme, wasn't fair. It was very irresponsible and selfish of me, but I couldn't think of any other way. I want to explain to everyone, to try to make amends. I won't leave again, but I'll need your help. Can we talk later?"

I nodded, and my mind flashed back to the evening spent at Bella Swan's house. The bizarre, blurry scan I had for her, her tear-puffed eyes, and her total lack of coordination made Edward raise his eyebrow in surprise.

"You went to her house?"

I nodded, suddenly apprehensive.

"You saw a vision for her?!"

I nodded again, meekly and continued the dialogue in my head._ I had to make sure you weren't going to her house, Edward. You refused to decide anything! I didn't even see you were coming home until yesterday. They all looked to me for answers and I had none to give them. _Now I was starting to feel a bit irritated._ So go and explain yourself now, we can talk about the human later. You owe me, remember?_

"My, aren't we a bit testy? I know I left things a mess, Alice. What is it you want from me?" He concentrated for a second while I ran through Jean-Paul's spring catalogue in my head. "Gauthier, eh? I'll see what I can do," he winked at me and pulled me impatiently to the house.

Everyone was assembling in the not-for-dining room. Emmett leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, trying to look irritated but barely suppressing a grin. Rosalie, her face made even more beautiful by a smudge of grease, was more successful at looking angry; and by the way Edward's arm tightened on my shoulders she was letting him have it. He inclined his head at her and muttered something about a McLaren F1 being a bit excessive for a few days disappearance. Edward's eyes flicked towards the staircase, and he dropped his arm from my shoulders. Esme flew down the stairs so quickly her caramel-colored hair fluttered like a streamer behind her. Edward braced himself for Esme's onslaught, silent to all but him. She hugged him fiercely, and stepped back, still berating him with her thoughts. After a minute of silent lecturing, he looked properly chagrined. Jasper and Carlisle were the last two to enter. Carlisle smiled happily, and gave Edward a quick hug. Jasper winked at Edward and reached for me. I moved to stand in front of him, and I leaned back against his chest. Any observer on this little meeting would think us nuts, standing around an unused table silently staring at one another.

"I want to apologize to all of you for my actions. I should have told all of you what happened instead of leaving it all on Alice's shoulders." He glanced my way with an apologetic smile. I stuck out my tongue at him, but he could hear the forgiveness in my mind. "Alice did the best with what I left her. I felt so weak, so ashamed that I could barely control myself around that little girl, that I couldn't face you all. I was afraid of what you would think of me, of my lack of control..."

"Edward, we aren't judging you. We have all suffered weakness. You could have looked to me, or your brothers and sisters for support. You do not need to take on all of your problems on your own." Esme tried to reason with him, but Edward is Edward.

Intensely independent and proud, the last thing Edward would do is ask for help with a personal problem. He occasionally asked Jasper about his experiences during the Civil War. He joked and wrestled with Emmett, and worked with Rosalie on one of the few things they had in common, cars. He would discuss philosophy with Carlisle and would compose concertos for Esme. I was his confidant, and only because I knew what he was going to do before he did it. Where Jasper and I were halves of the same whole, Edward and I were the same half. We understand each other more than the family understands us. I was still hurt that he felt he couldn't ask me for help. I took consolation that he would explain himself to me later.

"I know you wouldn't pass judgment," Edward glanced meaningfully at Rosalie. "But I wasn't in my right mind. Let me explain:

I spent all of last Monday trying to drown out the obsessive thoughts which the entire student body had for Isabella Swan. The male population was already lusting over the girl, and the females were hoping to be her best friend. At lunch, she asked about us. Her little friend filled her in with all of the Cullen lore. I tried to gauge her reaction, to see us through her eyes…but I couldn't see what she thought."

Esme gasped, and the rest of them began talking at once.

"This isn't a good sign"

"What do you mean you couldn't see?!"

"No wonder you blew me off when I asked."

"Are you sure you just didn't recognize her thoughts lost in the crowd?"

"I'm positive I couldn't hear her _now_," Edward answered Carlisle, "But at that moment in the cafeteria I was just confused. I could hear all the students sitting around her, wondering if she liked them, but I couldn't hear if she did. She looked right at me, and I couldn't hear a damn thing. I was baffled."

"I was already listening to Jasper for Alice," He turned and looked apologetically at the both of us. Jasper shrugged, and pulled me closer. "I was confused, but I had other things to worry about. Lunch ended and I went to class. Bio, my favorite…" The dripping sarcasm pulled grins from all of us. Emmett openly laughed. Edward smiled, but it didn't reach his worried amber eyes.

"Class was about to begin, then she walked into the room. I had the only empty seat next to me, so I thought perhaps this would be my chance to figure out why I couldn't see her thoughts. She walked to the seat and…" He swallowed reflexively, jaw clenched against the burning memory, "I almost killed her then. Her scent was so exquisite; I thought of a dozen ways to drink from her in that moment. We were saved by a breeze; the disruption in the air allowed me to regain enough sense to hold my breath. It was torture. Biology was my hell." Edward sat down heavily in one of the chairs, and put his head in his hands. I could see that recounting the story was costing him more than he thought. Closing my eyes I could see he would get through it without losing control. His eyes met mine and he gave me a small nod before continuing.

"I went to the office to switch my schedule, to get away from the demon in human form. The secretary could barely keep her thoughts appropriate as she told me it would be impossible to switch. I was desperate, when she appeared again to curse me. The office was so small, there was only the lascivious secretary, the demon, and myself…casualties would have been minimal. I don't know how they are both still alive. I got to the car, much faster than I should. And you all know the rest."

"What are you going to do now Edward? What do we need to do, as a family, to help you?" Carlisle asked the question that rested on the tip of all of our tongues.

"I don't know…I have to talk to Alice first."

All the eyes in the room turned towards me, and I had a striking sense of déjà vu. All that I could see is that Edward and I were going to talk down by the river, and Jasper would be waiting to distract me when we were through. "Thanks Jazz,_"_ I whispered sarcastically, "That's just what I needed to keep my focus._" _He grinned wickedly, and I saw Edward grimace a little out of the corner of my eye. "Jasper, enough!_"_ I hissed, mortified.

"Let's go Edward; I've got questions that need answers._"_

"Yeah, me too. I get to ask first."


	6. Decisions

**Disclaimer : Characters don't belong to me, although I wish Alice did. Y'all can have moody old Edward! Hooray for the awesomeness that is Stephenie Meyer!**

Decisions

I turned to Jasper and tip toed to brush his lips with a kiss. "I'll be waiting, wee one" he winked at me as Edward winced again in my peripheral vision..

"Stop it Jasper, I swear. It makes me as uncomfortable as it makes him!_" _I hissed.

Jasper just smirked and sauntered upstairs. By this time everyone had quietly returned to whatever they had been doing before Edward had arrived. I could hear Rosalie pounding on something out in the garage. I'm sure whatever it was didn't need to be treated in that manner. Emmett was there with her, trying to explain why he needed her to overhaul the exhaust system on his Jeep. Esme hummed contentedly in the kitchen, flipping through a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Carlisle poked around his office preparing for the double shift he was about to start.

"It's now or never Alice, before he decides to give me another shot of your distraction." Edward could barely spit the words out. I chuckled in spite of myself. "He's still angry that I left you the way I did."

"I'm sorry Edward. He has a hard time dealing with me when I'm like that. He needs to take it out on someone, and you're the easiest target, I just wish he would do something a bit less embarrassing. Let me tell you, I don't like it any more than you do. I'll talk with him later about his methods." I paused a moment, thinking of how I would broach the subject with Jasper, "Anyways, let's go before the moon gets any further across the sky. I just had a vision of it dancing across the river while we talk. It was so beautiful"

Edward slung his arm around my shoulders again and drew me in for a sideways hug. I smiled up at him as we walked towards our favorite talking spot near the bank of the Du Loc River. I silently pondered our relationship. I don't think I could live without Edward anymore than I could live without Jasper. No one understood me like Edward did. Like Jasper, he picked up on every mood I may be in; unlike Jazz, he could see why I would feel the way I did, and could empathize without being forced to feel my emotions. Edward wasn't always trying to fix every problem I had either. He would offer help, or give it when asked, but he would let me handle things on my own. He was exactly what a big brother should be. As I contemplated the differences between my two favorite family members a brillant white scene crashed my thoughts.

"Oh Edward! It's going to snow on Monday! Finally something to do during these endless nights._" _I hesitated a second, looking ahead for more._ "_Tuesday is going to be even better!_"_ I almost skipped in excited anticipation. "I can't wait to tell Emmett. He promised me a good snowball fight._"_

Edward grinned at my exuberant yet unneeded narration and leaned against a moss-covered boulder near the river. I climbed up to perch on the rock above him and settled in for the talk. He was quiet for awhile; I knew he wanted something, but he kept changing his mind as to what. I couldn't get a clear vision with all the indecision. I cleared my throat hoping to hurry him up.

He grinned again, "Impatient are we? I'm a bit tongue-tied Alice, I just don't know what to ask you to see for me. I have so many questions. I don't think you could possibly understand how that girl's blood calls to me. It's like nothing I've ever experienced."

"Start with that maybe. I'm going back to school on Monday, I've decided. Is it futile of me to try?"

I close my eyes and see the wet snow clinging to everyone's hair as we walk to the school building in the morning. I see the cafeteria abuzz with excitement due to the unexpected snowfall. The mahogany-haired Swan girl is glancing at Edward in apprehension. The bell rings at the end of the day. The scene fades. When I opened my eyes, Edward regarded me steadily. He nodded, pleased to see that control was possible. _Don't forget this isn't written in stone Edward! If you can't handle yourself in class, her school day won't end with a bell._

"I know Alice. I'm going to hunt right before school on Monday, I think it will give me the strength I need to be in her presence. I wanted to know something else though..." His voice tapered off, almost as if he were afraid to continue the thought. I raised an eyebrow at him, a silent question.

"I 'm wondering, Alice, while you were there at the Swan residence, did you notice anything odd about the girl? I can't put it into words..."

I wasn't used to seeing usually eloquent Edward stumble during a conversation. It was…amusing. I enjoyed his flustered face for a brief moment before answering.

"She is totally devoid of grace and coordination, I think that was the first thing I noticed. She's pretty. I'm surprised she comes from the sunny desert with a complexion like hers; she's as pale as we are. I definitely didn't have an uncontrollable urge to drink from her, and either did Jasper, so you're on your own with that one…"I completed my observations in my head. I couldn't phrase it right aloud. I hoped he could glean my meaning from my thoughts. _But something about her cries for protection. When I saw she had been crying I wanted to comfort her. It was unsettling to feel that way about a human._ I then thought about how she glanced at us at lunch every day this week, her head lowered, face shielded by that curtain of sable hair. The emotion I had seen flashing in those chocolate eyes was difficult to decipher. It seemed almost a combination of apprehension and disappointment. Disahension?

Edward's golden eyes looked at me quizzically. He shook his head imperceptibly, like a parent does with a young child who isn't catching on. "Try again Alice, that's not it."

"What do you mean that's not it?! You don't even know what you are looking for! I could see ahead for her…that's odd. I wanted to –console- the child…that's odd. What other type of odd do you want? Disahension, remember? How can those two emotions even exist at the same time?" I was going to continue the diatribe but he cut me off with a frown.

"I just don't know Alice. Something is different about her. I can't see in her head! It makes me uneasy. What if she suspects something?" Shaking my head, I slid down from my perch on the rock, and laid my hand on his arm. I could feel his agitation like an electric current. "How do you know Alice? How do you know she isn't aware? We've counted on my ability to see suspicion for so long I don't know how to handle this girl."

I stared past Edward's slightly panicked face to the quicksilver shine of the moon rippling on the river's surface. I had to stop him before he began to truly believe that the clumsy little human could actually put us into danger. Edward's tendency to overreact could be quite annoying. I moved both hands so they were gripping his upper arms.

"I swear Edward, stop with the melodrama. I said I can see for her. If she suspected something and decided to tell someone, I would have seen it. She's just a lonely, homesick little girl who is now probably terrified by her looney lab partner. All I'm concerned about now is whether or not you can hold it together enough on Monday to avoid a bloodbath." I raised an expectant eyebrow. _"_Well?_"_

"I can hold it together Alice." He sighed, pulling himself from the emotional pool he had filled. "Please watch for me though. I need to know anything she decides that may put us at risk."

I nodded unnecessarily, and gazed back out over the undulating water. The pearlescent shimmer of the moon was captivating. Edward caught my fascination, and turned to look at it himself. I have seen the muted sparkle of the moon on water thousands of times and it has never ceased to hold me in awe. The scene pulled a favorite quote from my memory. _Si je dors, qui me donnera la lune?_ Edward turned back to me with a crooked smile on his face.

"Is that what you truly want then, the moon? I do have to say that it will be considerably harder than Gauthier, but for you Miss Alice, anything." He winked at me then, but his eyes were still troubled. "You don't actually feel that way though, do you Alice? I know that line well, and how it could easily be you saying it."

Smiling, I shook my head and took his hand, pulling him back towards the house. "No you goof, that's not how I feel. I just think it's a beautiful sentiment when taken out of it's horrific context. I will happily settle for Gauthier. Save the moon for your true love someday." He snorted at my request but humored me by allowing himself to be led. _"_I need to get back to the house if we're finished here. I have a distraction waiting for me._"_ He grumbled at the reminder. Knowing he himself was distracted trying to obliterate whatever image Jasper had flashed him earlier, I reached up, beeped his nose, and sprinted for the house. With his guard down he didn't have a chance to get ahold of me before I was through the door and in Jasper's waiting arms.


	7. On Waiting and Weather

**Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me, although I wish Alice did. You all can have grumpy ole Edward. Thank you to their owner, Ms. Stephenie Meyers, for allowing us fans to use her ideas.  
**

On Waiting and Weather

It was fair to say that I had needed my distraction in the worst way. I didn't realize how much of a toll Edward's absence had taken on me, and how much pressure I had felt to be perfect to help my family. Edward could now truly empathize with me. His inability to know what the Swan girl's thoughts and motivations were was driving him mad. None of us needed telepathic skills to see how her mental block was eating away at Edward's control. We were all worried, but I was fighting to prevent him from seeing my concern. Emmett and Jasper suggested that perhaps he should quit school and have Carlisle and Esme declare him home schooled. Rose spent most of the time smirking. By the self-righteous look on her face, I was sure she was constantly "thinking:" about Edward's weakness. After two days of everyone's doubtful thoughts, Edward finally slammed his hands down on the piano keys and stomped away in frustration. With Edward out of the house, I decided to intervene. Rosalie was my first stop.

"Listen Rose, I'm going to tell you this one time, so listen closely._" _I muttered as my eyes flashed fire. I had to make this quick before Emmett decided his delicate Rose needed support. I knew he could hear me. He usually knew better than to get between her and I, but sometimes his loyalty was a bit misguided. "If you don't knock off the holier-than-thou treatment you are giving Edward, I'm going to knock it off for you. I see a blond wig in your future if you don't make better decisions._"_

She rolled her eyes at me and huffed off to her room. The hair threat is the only thing I had going for me. She wouldn't be able to grow more, and I had none to cut off in retribution. I focused on her for a moment just to make sure she will heed my warning. She'll complain to Emmett about my threat, but he'll tell her to calm down and let it go. I was glad to see I could count on Emmett to sometimes see Rosalie for what she could be.

My next stop would be the most difficult. Jasper and I didn't agree with how Edward should handle the situation. We didn't argue often, but this morning's conflict had set the whole house on edge. Jasper has been biding his time in his study waiting for me. He is reading Sartre again, dwelling this time on the "Hell is other people" quote. I fought to keep the smile off my face and climbed the stairs. This was going to be interesting. There was nothing more dangerous than an existential vampire.

Jasper's study was one of the most peaceful rooms in the house, and he came here often to read or talk with Carlisle. The somber, silent atmosphere reminded me of tours we had taken in Notre Dame and St. Chappelle in Paris. I felt that if I spoke above a whisper someone would shush me. I tapped softly on the heavy oak door, out of respect more than notification of my presence. I knew Jasper was well aware it was I. When he didn't answer, I eased the door open and slipped over to sit on the arm of his chair.

"Jazz, lets talk_."_ I took the easy lead in, rather than pretend I didn't already know what we were going to do. _"_I understand your fears. I appreciate what you and Emmett want to do for the family, I really do. You both need to be behind him now, though. He has made his decision and the more you advise against it the more he will stubbornly do the opposite._"_

Jasper sat silently, waiting for me to continue. I felt his irritation war with his desire to please me. His jaw tightened, and he continued to look away. I kept my emotions as neutral as possible, and reached down for his hand. I twined our fingers together, fighting the urge to see how this conversation was going to turn out. _Live in the now for once, Alice,_ I reprimanded myself. I took a deep breath and continued.

"I would side with you and Emmett, Jazz, but I know Edward. If he doesn't feel our support and love he may do something drastic. You know how dramatic he can be._" _Still no reaction, I was having trouble fighting off rising panic. Even our discussion about Jasper's lifestyle change hadn't been this tense.

"I'm not ready to move from Forks yet. There is something here that feels unfinished to me. I know he shouldn't put himself back into the situation; but I have seen nothing that leads me to believe he won't be able to control himself. I have to support him in this Jasper. You don't have to agree with me, but I hope you understand and don't make me choose._"_

As I spoke I felt a tiny seed of desperation start to sprout in spite of my intent to keep it at bay. I wanted him to turn around so I could see into his tawny eyes; I needed to know what he was thinking. Fighting the urge to close my eyes, I squeezed his hand between mine and sighed.

"I'm trying really hard not to look for your reaction, Jasper. I need you to tell me right now if this is a waste of my time. I shouldn't have to look for myself."

His free hand returned the tattered copy of Huis Clos to the end table while he pulled me into his lap with the other. A small smile broke through the annoyance on his face before he tucked my head under his chin. I was sure he felt my sudden relief. When the tension dissipated, I couldn't stop the visions. Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper will all still be annoyed with me, but they accept Edward's decision to return to school under the condition that he makes no contact with the girl. He agrees to their terms but… before I saw the last snapshot I felt Jasper's broad palm on my cheek. He gently tilted my face towards his own, his thumb lightly traced across my eyelashes, following the dusky smudges under my eyes.

"You're thirsty, Alice. Why don't you go hunt with Edward tonight? I'm sure he would appreciate supportive company, and he needs to do this before tomorrow."

His hand moved to cup my chin, pulling my face forward to meet his lips. The kiss both forgave and persuaded, my mind reeled. I broke away with a gasp and glared accusingly at him. There was mischief in his eyes as he fought back a smile.

"You can't blame me for trying, Lis. I would like to get my way sometimes too, but I'm just a chump for your pretty face."

He leaned forward and kissed the tip of my nose, then waved me off to go find Edward. I could still feel tendrils of acquiescence unwinding themselves from my mind. I shook my head to clear it, flashed Jasper my best you're-in-trouble-later-buster look, and trounced out the door. I had one more stop to make before finding Edward. A recently familiar scraping sound made my search much easier.

"Esme!_" _I called to my last holdout. "Are you moving that couch again?_"_

I smiled a little at her nervous energy. You could always tell when something was bothering Esme, the furniture wouldn't stay put. I bounced down the stairs in enough time to see the end of the couch disappear from the front wall of the house. Esme had her caramel-colored hair piled untidily on her head, wisps escaping from the hastily made knot. The room was immaculately white; somehow she had even managed to get the dust motes out of the sunbeams that streamed in the windows. I sighed. I don't think I could deal with another conversation like Jasper's and mine. This over-kill cleaning was a sign that perhaps all was not well.

Her eyes met mine and she sat down on one end of the couch and patted the space next to her. I hadn't planned on peeking on our conversation, but I didn't feel like dreading this talk. Why put myself through the strain when I could just take a little look-see? The tête-à-tête flashed into my mind. I see that Esme wants what is best for Edward, and if he thinks going to school is best, she'll support him even if she doesn't agree. I had hoped that I had an ally in her, and I smiled broadly as I sat down.

"You already know how this conversation is going to turn out Alice, I can tell by your Cheshire Cat grin. You know I would do anything to keep him from harm, but I trust he knows what is best for him. Go on, I agree with Jasper, go find Edward. I think he would only want you around now anyway."

I gave Esme a quick hug and rushed out the front door to the garage. _EDWARD_, I thought as loudly as I could. _Can you hear me? I'm waiting in your car! Lets go hunting._ I turned my spare key in the ignition again, and flipped on the radio. A quick sensation of déja vu passed over me as the driver's side door popped open. Edward slid smoothly behind the wheel, irritation marring his perfect face. _Wow, you got here before the song ended. You mustn't have been far._

"I wasn't. Sitting by our rock actually. Are you sure you want to be on my side, Alice? Aren't you afraid of the told-you-so's?"

I rolled my eyes. _Since when have I ever been afraid of told-you-so's? I'm the told-you-so._ I tapped my fingers impatiently on the console. _Allons-y bro, I'm parched._ My flippant response was rewarded with a crooked smile and squealing tires as we shot out of the garage as if from a gun. _Get this out of your system now, boyo; it's going to snow some tonight. _

He nodded, "I remember you saying that. Nothing much though until tomorrow night, right?"

_Yep, and Emmett is itching for a fight. My only advice, convince Rose to be on your team._ I smiled conspiratorially but continued to stare straight ahead through the windshield. _That's all you're getting from me._ Edward snickered at my advice, but said nothing. His face slowly shifted from teasing grin to solemn and pensive. I knew he was back to thinking about tomorrow and Bella Swan. I reached over to turn the radio up, and focused on losing myself in the music so I could leave Edward alone with his thoughts.


	8. Anticipation

**Disclaimer : Characters don't belong to me, although I wish Alice did. Y'all can have moody old Edward! Hooray for the awesomeness that is Stephenie Meyer!**

**Much thanks to tnuccio for volunteering to beta for me! This chapter is all the better for it.**

Anticipation

"EMMETT! I swear you'll pay for this!_"_

"It'll be worth any retribution you can think of Alice! That's 5!"

His laughter boomed across the front yard of the house as he ran towards the waiting Volvo. I have spent the past 50 odd years, and, more recently, the wee hours of the morning trying to foil all of Emmett's practical joke ideas. Once he found out my talent, he made it his mission to find the "holes" in my vision. Until this latest trick the score was 4 to 564. Me, of course.

Last night, during our hunting trip, I had seen that he was going to hide my superfluous winter wear. I had to phone Jasper and have him stash it all in his study until I got back… We were going to need to dress the part for school today, and I didn't feel like having to search all corners of the house for my Libertine coat, then he was going to take all of my left shoes and lock them in the trunk of Rosalie's car. Another quick call to Rose where I mentioned that I wouldn't –need- a key to get into the trunk, and she thwarted that plan. The last ruse I had seen involved Emmett bunkered down in a dark spot. Now this proved troubling because there are lots of dark spots in our house. There were lots of dark spots in the world for that matter. Between the phone calls, and constant future surveillance, all I had gotten a hold of was an ornery mountain goat...some meal. Edward was satiated though, and that was the point of the trip.

The ride home was like old times. Edward was as light-hearted as he gets, chuckling at Emmett's connivance. He refused to help me when we got home, however, citing fraternal obligations.

"You're my brother too, you know. Don't you think you have a little fraternal obligation to me?_" _I put on my best pout and sad eyes, but he didn't bite.

"You don't have to live with their teasing Alice, plus even Jasper wouldn't rat out Emmett. It's a guy thing." He reached over and squished my cheeks together squeezing the pout into fish-lips, "Plus, this face only works on Jasper." I smacked his hand away and crossed my arms across my chest.

I spent the rest of the ride home futilely looking for clues and listening as Edward sniggered when scenario after scenario flashed through my mind. As we got closer and closer to home, I became more and more aggravated. I was not going to lose to that Loki. I could stay outside until we had to go to school; no way was I going to let him chalk up another point.

The moon dimly filtered through the gaps in the thick cloud cover only to be swallowed by the boughs of the ancient cedars surrounding the house. The car's headlights threw shadows along the deep porch pulling the sudden sharp outline of Esme and Carlisle's silhouettes into focus. They stood, leaning on the porch rail, Carlisle's arm draped across Esme's shoulders, her head rested lightly against his. They were the picture of love and devotion. My throat tightened as I wondered if Jasper and I projected the same perfect image to the others.

"You do Alice," He whispered softly, "The only time I think I might be missing out on something is when I see you both together. Your thoughts mirror each other's. He would die without you and you without him. I hear it."

The car rolled to a stop beside the walk, and I leaned over and kissed Edward on his smooth cheek.

"Thank you for that._" _I murmured,_ "_Someday, Edward. I've seen you blissful. Only love brings that sort of happiness._"_

I slipped out of the car and walked to the familiar, leonine form sitting on the second step, forearms resting on raised knees. The shadows melted into the darkness as the car hummed towards the garage. Jasper fluidly lowered his feet to the ground and reached his hand to me. I took it and moved between his knees to sit on the lower step. He leaned forward and wrapped a long arm across my collarbone. I felt his free hand lightly trace behind my ear and along my neck, the path then followed by his smooth cool lips; my head tilted slightly in response.

"I missed you, Lis."

My eyes rolled, but I couldn't fight the smile that surfaced.

"Jazz, I was gone all of 9 hours. You couldn't have missed me that much._" _I half turned and caught his chin in my hand. His gilded onyx eyes met mine, corners crinkled with my favorite smile.

"You should have gone with us; you look like you need a snack_."_

He shook his head, disagreeing, and quickly stood up lifting me with him. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and I was suddenly on my guard,.

"Jasper Whitlock, what are you up to? It doesn't have anything to do with Emmett, does it?_"_

The crinkles around his eyes smoothed out as hurt replaced the roguish smile. He stopped walking; so I quickly closed my eyes to see me being set down on the walk, Jasper, pride injured, calls to Edward for a quick chess game before school. Emmett, trick unspoiled, remains in the dark place…waiting. I quickly opened my eyes…damnation! I heard Edward's soft laughter float out of the garage.

"I'm sorry Jazz! Edward got my suspicions up on our little rendezvous._" _I locked my arms around his neck, in case my lame excuse didn't work. Jasper still hadn't moved. I felt him debating on whether or not to accept my defense. I changed tactics when it appeared that my fumbling apology wasn't getting me back into his good graces. One of my hands slid up to tangle into his hair, and I levered myself up to meet his lips with the other.

"Let me show you how sorry I am Jazz._" _I whispered suggestively. "I should know better than to believe –Edward- when he tells me my own husband is in on Emmett's plot._"_

His resolve weakened, I had to play my trump card. I sighed inwardly, and wondered if human men were this easy to manipulate. Apparently, even in a species where reproduction isn't the goal, guys only had one thing on their mind.

"I have a surprise for you upstairs, Jazz. I was saving it for an occasion when we would have more time, but I guess we still have a moment or two before we have to leave._"_ I bit my lip and flashed him a sultry smile. The last thing he needed was to go to our collective hell thirsty and with injured pride. Just had to get him upstairs….

Crinkles again, and forward movement I breathed a small sigh of relief. I wanted this week to be back to normal and nothing I've seen has given me the impression it would be anything but. I turned inward, trying for a glimpse of the week's activities, but Jasper's hungry mouth made it impossible to focus. My original intentions were lost to a sudden flare of desire.

Forget that cursed institution, forget trying, I required nothing more than to spend the rest of my existence in his arms. The porch stairs creaked under Jasper's worn boots, although it seemed as if his feet never touched the steps. Esme and Carlisle were passed unnoticed in our haste. Once inside the door, Jasper turned me in his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist without breaking our kiss. I buried both of my hands in his hair, pulling him closer, hoping our individual forms would melt together. He climbed the staircase with agonizing slowness, a kiss for each stair; I could feel the time trickling away.

"At this rate, we aren't going to make it up to your surprise, Jazz_" I_ soughed against his lips, unwilling to break the kiss. I could feel the sly smile that pulled the corners of his mouth

"What's your hurry, darlin'? Are you not enjoying yourself?"

Oh that southern drawl, be still my unbeating heart. I had thought it was he who was putty in my manipulative hands; the joke was on me. I no longer controlled this situation, but as we continued towards our room I realized neither did he. The connection we had, the passion that burned whenever we touched, was the controlling force. We were lost to its power.

Jasper kicked our door open, busting the lock plate from the doorframe. I faintly heard Carlisle say we'd have to replace it before he got home tonight. It wouldn't be the first time. I felt that pulling smile again, this time it was almost wicked.

The giant four-poster bed dominated our room, although perhaps, it was more my room. The black wrought iron posts spiraled almost to the ceiling then split into twisting branches creating a canopy. The bars were draped with gossamer silk the color of moonbeams; the duvet shimmered like water on a moonlit night. The deep aubergine walls mimicked the midnight sky and with the predawn haze from the southern glass wall the room became twilight. I only needed the moon to complete the illusion.

Jasper turned as he crossed the threshold, and pinned me firmly against the wall. His cool hands framed my face then slid into my hair pushing the already untidy spikes into further disarray. His kiss was raw, almost feral in its intensity. He had lost his carefully kept control, and was throwing waves of unbridled passion in all directions. I couldn't think, couldn't hear, couldn't talk. I only responded to his kiss with a muffled moan. He spun then, his boot sent something skittering across the hardwood floor, and strode with a purpose to the bed.

The soft breeze that blew in through the screened window swirled the silken canopy and caused the silvery twists to dance around us. The frame was high off the floor; I usually had to jump a bit to get into the bed alone. The twisting silk and elevated frame reminded me of a boat in the morning mist. It was the perfect calming mirage; I closed my eyes and felt the breeze intensify for a brief second. The vision happened as Jasper dropped us both toward the bed. I knew where the dark place was now, and the skittering something had been a screw from the frame. Only fast-moving bulk like Emmett's could cause air disturbance like that…

"Jasper, NO!_" _ I gasped, but it was too late. As our entwined bodies hit the mattress, the bed collapsed, iron screeching together. When I opened my eyes I saw the rent silks hung in tatters like a ghost-ship's sails, and the majestically twisting branches were ripped from the posts. My beautiful bed was destroyed; the mood was effectively killed. I pushed away from a bewildered Jasper and punched a hole through one of the expensive down pillows. Feathers floated like snowflakes, falling on the ruin of my bed. I met Jasper's confused eyes, and watched as two feathers alighted in his golden hair. He hesitated a moment before talking.

"Was this my surprise, Lis? To be honest with you, I didn't really like it."

The horn of the Volvo honked in the drive. He was dead; this was war. I hitched in the biggest breath I could muster and yelled at the top of my lungs.


	9. Snow

**Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. All come from the wonderful world of Stephenie Meyer. **

**Woo, Beta done. Thanks Tnuccio, you so rock!**

Snow

After Emmett's little triumph the ride to school was tense to say the least. I was seething in the backseat between a rather frustrated Jasper, and a conciliatory Rosalie. Emmett couldn't keep the unrepentant smirk off of his face. It's okay...I am a woman of subtlety and finesse. No outright violence, no more yelling and screaming, just the threat was sufficient. It would come when he least expected it, and he was fully aware of that fact. It was maddening how he didn't even seem to care. I guess I was the one with pride to lose.

Rosalie told me that she would weld the frame back together, that I wouldn't even know that it had been damaged. She understood that Emmett had entered dangerous territory, and she was attempting to create a path of breadcrumbs for him. What she didn't understand was it –wasn't- the bed, or the imported moonbeam silks, or even the loss of the moment. All of those things were replaceable. It was 5 now! I could never get back to 4. I seethed in silence, catching Edwards amused eyes in the rearview mirror.

"When is the snow going to start, Alice?" I rolled my eyes at Jasper's deflection question. I will not be distracted so easily.

"After first period. It'll be heavy and wet, and will turn to rain after lunch. The good stuff will happen overnight tonight._"_

He sighed at my clipped response, and removed his arm from my shoulders. His body shifted toward the window as he turned his darkened eyes to gaze at the trees flashing by. My anger was pushed aside by concern. I didn't want Jasper to get to school upset. _Is he angry?_ Edward's head tilted only slightly to the side. I sought his eyes in the mirror, but he refused to match my stare. _Edward, look at me._ His eyes remained on the road, seemingly oblivious to my request.

"So Rose, I was wondering if you are going to partake in tonight's snow festivities."

Edward's voice gave away nothing. Surprised, Rosalie's eyes jerked away from the flawless visage in her compact to check for any hint of mockery in his eyes. He looked earnest enough though so still surprised, she nodded.

"Good, I was hoping that perhaps you would like to be on my team if we should do something that required team play."

This time it wasn't only Rosalie's incredulous eyes meeting Edward's in the rearview, Emmett's had joined them. Edward was breaking a huge rule: Rosalie and Emmett were always on the same team. I shuffled through my purse nonchalantly, hiding a gigantic grin. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place, that was for sure. If she refused Edward's request, his feelings would be hurt and she'd have Esme and I to contend with. If she accepted, she would definitely have to be on a team against Emmett. Edward and Emmett have battled snow wars against each other for half a century. They never allied together. She would choose Edward, but only because Emmett could be easily "convinced" to forgive her. I didn't need a vision to see what was coming next.

"I want Jasper then, Edward. You can have both the girls. I don't need Alice sabotaging my team in the middle of the fight. You two are thick as thieves."

_Thank you. _Edward inclined his head just enough for me to know he heard me. His attempts to pull me out of my funk worked, I was ready to start the charade. The bed incident caused us to be a bit later than usual to school, so we wouldn't get our usual primo parking space. Steam clouds puffed from gossiping mouths as the humans left the warm sanctuary of their cars to hurry through the chill to the building.

"Scarves guys. It's cold enough to show their breath._"_

The worst part about our charade here at school was assimilating. It was aggravating how something so seemingly insignificant like visible breath, was a detail we had to be aware of. Rosalie and I always carried scarves and gloves; one never knew when they would be needed. The boys had to make due with tucking their faces into their zipped-up coats. The humans generally didn't pay close enough attention, but we learned the hard way once that there are some observant ones.

Car parked, we piled reluctantly out of the car. Jasper, ever the gentleman, reached for my hand to help me. Apparently my previous foul mood was forgiven. I offered him a sunny smile, before covering my mouth with the scarf. Hand in hand, we headed for the science and math building. Edward trudged ahead, hands in pockets, head tipped down in thought.

I noticed the Swan girl's truck was a row down in the parking lot. I can't believe the ancient thing still worked. I could remember when trucks like that were new on the streets. Edward turned to see where I looked, shook his head, and quickly walked to his first class across campus. Rosalie and Emmett were still leaning against the Volvo. It's a good thing breathing wasn't a requirement for vampires or those two would have suffocated by now. Emmett didn't seem to be too upset about Rose consorting with the enemy tonight.

The vision came on quick, and stopped before I could get a good grasp on its meaning. Jasper waited expectantly with his hand resting on my shoulder for support. I kept my eyes closed a minute longer, hoping to pull a fragment of the scene back to me. The Swan girl again…will wonders never cease. Jasper's brow furrowed with concern as my hesitation to explain the vision. There were times when I wished that Jasper possessed the same talent as Edward. It was just so much easier.

"I saw the Swan girl again._"_ I started slowing, thinking of how to put the vision into words. Tense, Jasper cut me off.

"Dead?"

I vehemently shook my head. _"_No, no, not dead. Just deciding what to do about Edward. Haven't you noticed her looking at our table all last week? The girl has a death wish._"_ I did find myself thinking about her at odd times. I hadn't missed her daily search for Edward, although she had tried to be as casual as possible. The tilt of her head as she looked through the screen of her hair had become familiar to me. I realized that I must have been observing her more than I had intended. My observations were justifiable though. I needed to know as much about this girl as I could if I was going to help Edward cope.

"No, I didn't notice. Then again, I was focusing on other things last week." I snapped out of my musing at the edge in his voice.

"Oh Jazz, I know how hard it is for you. I just now realized I spent a lot of time last week watching her at lunch. I didn't even notice how much time until this minute. It's getting easier and easier to see what lies in store for her." I grabbed his hand and tugged him toward our building. "It's still very unsettling for me to see for her especially since we've had no contact."

We walked the rest of the way to class in silence, parting ways in front of my Trig class. Varner had a degree in mental torture, I was certain. Jasper was on his way to Physics, his least favorite class as well. I squeezed his hand as he leaned down to brush my lips with a kiss. We started every school day the same way.

"I love you Jazz, thank you._"_

"For you, my Alice, anything."

I wanted him to know every day that I appreciated the sacrifices he made to keep me with my family. Standing in the doorway, I closed my eyes and thought back to the early hours of this morning and the unbridled passion he had made me feel. I lost myself in the memory for a moment, surely had I blood in my veins my face would have been flush. With that in mind, I remembered Jasper wasn't the only one who could affect other's emotions. I opened my eyes to catch his hungry gaze still focused on me from down the hall. I smiled as innocently as possible, and winked. That should give him something to think about. As the bell rang, I found my seat in the back corner of the room.

I hoped Edward would be occupied elsewhere. I wanted to think about my vision of the Swan girl without his over-analyzing. She was going to make decisions today that would affect Edward, but since she hadn't made them yet, I couldn't see what was going to happen. She would be watching for him at lunch today, of that much I was sure. I sighed and tried to focus on the teacher's lecture, sketching some designs for winter coats in the margins of my notebook. Maybe it was time to front another design house. I have been rather bored lately. I turned to a fresh page and began to list everything I needed to get the line up and running. Thank goodness Varner didn't feel it was his educational duty to call on everyone in the class. My perfect test scores and consistent homework completion provided me with an interruption-free first period. The bell rang before I knew it. I slammed my notebook shut and filed out into the hallway. I knew I wouldn't have to wait for him long.

"That wasn't very fair, Lis. You wouldn't want me to go and do something like that to you, now would you?" Jasper growled softly in my ear. His arm slid across my shoulders pulling me closer to him. "You don't know how crazy you make me when you pull stunts like that. It was all I could do not to grab you and find the nearest janitor's closet."

I giggled at the scene that unfolded as he contemplated doing just that. We wouldn't get caught, and it's not like we needed to be in class to learn any of the material. I wouldn't be missed until PE. Every moment Jasper was with me was a moment I knew he was safe from temptation, the human kind at least. There were plenty of other temptations he wasn't going to be able to avoid without the willpower of a metal post. _Edward, stay out of my head for the next hour and a half or you'll regret it. Jasper's too! Consider yourself warned!_

I watched Jasper's caramel eyes go from scolding, to disbelieving, to, finally, wanting. The hall had only a few straggling students as the bell rang, signaling the start of class. We hurried out of the 4 annex into the swirling white snow and headed to the main building. Jasper grabbed the door handle of the first maintenance closet we came across, and very obviously wrenched off the knob. I stifled a laugh as he impatiently pulled me through the doorway and braced the broken door with a set of shelves.

"Now, where were we when we were so rudely interrupted this morning?" Jasper's eyes smoldered as he picked me up and sat me on a stored desk. His hands rested on either side of my seated frame, bringing him eye level with me. I brought both of my hands up to frame his face as I leaned forward and lightly traced his lips with my tongue. He groaned softly, and crushed me to him, spinning so that he was now sitting on the desk and I straddling his lap. Our hands were entwined in each other's hair, our kisses flammable, I was surprised the desk had not yet combusted. Time stood still, and flew concurrently. A bell rang, but I couldn't remember what it was signaling. I didn't care. I tilted my head as Jasper kissed along my neck, I was amazed we were both still fully clothed.

"Jazz, we should just cut school._"_

"And go where?_" _He whispered between kisses_._

"Home. So I can focus all my attention on you, rather than constantly looking to make sure we aren't caught._"_

"Nope. Can't leave Edward here alone._" _His mouth had moved up, his tongue tracing the curve of my ear.

Dammit, how could I have forgotten Edward? Jasper's mouth returned to mine, nibbling on my lower lip. Any thoughts I was having were now lost. I know how I could have forgotten him; I couldn't remember my own name when Jasper and I were together like this. Another bell sounded, the halls were quiet. I felt as one of Jasper's hands moved to my hip, while the other slid under the hem of my shirt to rest on my lower back. My eyes fluttered closed as I arched my back and tipped my head. His cool lips kissed down my throat to my collarbone. His long fingers deftly slipped the top button from its hole, and his kisses dropped lower. I bit my lip to suppress a moan. In a flash, my mind was aware that the closet was about to be visited.

"Jas-_"_ He froze mid-kiss, aware of our company.

There was a loud thunk as the broken doorknob hit the hallway floor.

"What the hell?" A familiar too-loud voice boomed.

Jasper sighed ruefully, rebuttoned my shirt, and set me carefully on the floor. He walked to the door, moved the shelves without making a sound, and pulled the door open.

"Hello Rose, Emmett. We were just leaving. You'll want to do something about that knob."

The two of them looked utterly flabbergasted.

"Just so you know Emmett,_" _I jabbed him with my forefinger, "This doesn't count for anything…it's still just 5_."_

I heard Jasper chuckle softly as he led me away.


	10. Promises

**Disclaimer: All characters and some dialog belong to the wonderful Ms. Stephenie Meyer. I'm very appreciative that she lets me use Alice!**

**A/N: Many thanks to Tnuccio for her amazing Beta skills, and her willingness to fix all my crap while she's at work! Hooray!**

Promises

The look on Rose and Emmett's face was priceless! Of all of the out-of-the-way rooms that we could have gone, we chose Rose and Emmett's hideaway. Jasper and I ran to the next corridor hand in hand. As we rounded the corner, I tried, unsuccessfully, to fight off hysterical giggles. I slumped against the dull beige cinderblock wall, one hand over my mouth the other across my aching stomach. Jasper covered up his laughter with a mock scowl.

"You'd think a psychic could find a safe place to mess around," he grumbled and raised an eyebrow, "Why do I keep you around again?"

I let loose a fresh round of giggles, since it made him fight all the harder to maintain his serious expression. His mouth stayed stern, but his eyes danced with laughter, the corners crinkled like I loved. Just before the scolding facade dissolved, I leaned forward and kissed him with all the pent up frustration from this morning's endeavors. I broke the kiss before he could twine his fingers into my hair.

"That's why you keep me around, remember?_" _I fought the urge to kiss him again, "I recall you saying Emmett just doesn't kiss like I do_."_

I watched with a self-satisfied smile as hunger replaced the humor in his eyes. By the expression on his face, I could tell that Jasper was looking to carry me off to some other 'secluded' area of the school. We had to stop the spontaneity. I really didn't want to start something we couldn't finish for a third time.

"Three strikes and you'd be out, my love, so why don't we just wait for the relative privacy of home." I put one finger over his almost protesting lips, "Plus, you were right. I can't leave Edward here alone._"_

His shoulders dropped in resignation, but he smirked as his own words came back to bite him.

"Then let's go, wee-one. It's third period. Allow me to escort you to English while you think of a good excuse for your tardiness."

"I better think of something good, we have a pop quiz." I replied after a sudden vision cleared. "Good thing I've read Wuthering Heights more times than Mason has."

Our footprints left a lonely trail across the sidewalk on our way back to the Language Arts wing of the school. The snow tumbled in clumps, clinging to our hair and faces. I reminded myself to tell Jasper to brush himself off before going to class. Nothing drew suspicious stares quite like snowflakes resting unmelted on your face. We approached my classroom and Jasper gave me a chaste peck on the cheek then headed for Calculus. I heard the groans from the class as Mason told them to clear off their desks for the quiz. I opened the door and slipped into my desk as unobtrusively as possible.

"How nice of you to join us Ms. Cullen. Do you have a pass?"

"No sir, I don't_"_

"Well, can you give me a reason not to write you up for being 10 minutes tardy?"

"Well sir, I couldn't get my locker to open so I went with someone to find the maintenance closet_."_

"You mean you went to find someone in the maintenance closet?"

"No, but my brother Emmett did, sir."

"Your brother Emmett did what?"

"Found someone in the maintenance closet, sir._"_

"Well, I assume the problem was fixed?" He had quit handing out papers and had turned to me to better follow our dialogue.

"Not to my liking, Mr. Mason, but I'll make sure it's taken care of later._"_

It was so very difficult to keep my face solemn and my eyes innocent while I played word games with the poor confused man. I knew he wouldn't press the issue. I had a perfect score in this class as well. Mr. Mason usually sent me out of the room on errands since missing class didn't seem to impact my grade. I finished my quiz and doodled in my notebook while we were supposed to be reading. The bell finally rang and I headed off to PE.

Coach Clapp caught me outside the locker room.

"Your sister is looking for you. We're playing volleyball today, and I've seen you play before. Go ahead and see what Rosalie needs, she looked upset."

Upset? That was odd. I didn't see anything happening to Rosalie today. If I had, perhaps I would have picked a more secluded closet. I went into the PE office to see her sitting in the coach's chair, gazing at her reflection in the TV screen. I cleared my throat.

"Whatcha need Rose? You don't look nearly as upset as Clapp made you out to be._"_

Her smile was wicked and conspiratorial, and it vanished the instant the door opened again behind me. Only a hint of it remained in her eyes as Coach entered his office and told us to take as long as we needed. Rose bowed her head; the pout on her face made her look like a damsel in distress. I quickly moved to put my arm around her. Clearly uncomfortable with the potential for tears, Clapp excused himself and left to start class.

"Well played Rose, I desperately wanted out of PE. Neither of us reads minds though, so why are you here?"I was still frustrated that I hadn't seen her plan.

"The boys are going to ambush us before lunch. Emmett accidentally let it slip this morning." I rolled my eyes at "accidentally", Rosalie just laughed, "I knew I sure didn't want my hair messed up, and your scarf is hand-dyed cashmere…can't have that getting ruined."

"Rosalie, I already knew about the ambush. Psychic…remember? Now, why are you really here?_" _Rosalie sighed and took a deep breath.

"I just want to apologize for being a rotten sister these past few days. I know we aren't exactly best friends, Alice, but we are sisters and there's been some real tension lately. And before you say it, I know, I've been horrible to Edward too. He's next on my list, once he gets this ridiculousness with the human girl out of his system."

I raised my eyebrow, skeptical of her apology. It was so unlike Rosalie to do anything as selfless as accept responsibility for her actions. She seemed sincere though, and I had noticed the tension in the house as well. This would be as good a time as any to dissolve it.

"Apology accepted Rose. Now…let's see if we can avoid the boys._" _

I looked inward for a second, and confirm that they would be waiting to waylay us on the way to the cafeteria. I watched as the vision melted into another as I 'decided' to go out the back doors to lunch. Chuckling I saw that we'd be able to get a few shots off before they realized where we were. If we were lucky, we'd actually avoid getting hit.

"Alright Rose, this is the plan…" I proceeded to fill her in on our alternate route. She grinned at the strategy and we slipped out the office door right before the bell rang to get a jump on the boys.

The sneak attack worked like a charm, we managed to hit Edward and Jasper twice and Emmett once before they figured out where we were. By the time they regrouped we were almost to the doors of the cafeteria. The chaos of flying slush and running humans had provided great cover.

"We're not going to make it Rose!_"_ I squealed as the vision of Edward and Jasper pummeling us melted from my mind. I grabbed her hand and tried futilely to pull her towards safety. Knowing that was a lost cause I switched tactics and grabbed Rose to huddle behind a narrow post. I braced myself for the onslaught. It never arrived.

As the flying snow was about to slop onto our pathetic cover, a fast-moving blur took a direct hit.

"Superman to the rescue! You ladies look like you could use a superhero." Emmett bellowed, slush dripping from his coat. I couldn't contain my laughter as he took my hand and kissed it, then grabbed Rosalie in his arms and spun her around.

"What do you say Alice, truce until the snow melts?" His laughing eyes met mine over Rosalie's golden head.

Before I could answer, yells of traitor echoed clearly through the din of the snow-flinging students. Emmett was pelted with two well-aimed slushballs that exploded on contact with his thick skull and showered Rosalie and I with smatterings of wet. She leapt from his embrace and ran into the building. I quickly scooped up a handful of the heavy snow and lobbed up upwards. It dropped neatly onto the top of his head, and smashed like an egg.

"Alls fair…_"_ was all I could get out before Emmett made a grab for me. I danced lithly out of his reach and ducked in through the doors.

The cafeteria was more chaotic than usual. The snowfall excited the humans; there was an electric feel to the air. The feeling was mutual. We loved the snow as much as they did. I couldn't wait until tonight when the real stuff would fall, and we wouldn't have to censor our actions. I was going to pay for my little stunt with Emmett, but I didn't mind.

I walked through the line with Rosalie and picked a diet soda and bag of chips to play with today. Rosalie grabbed a bottle of water and nothing else. We were lucky; both of us were so thin that we could get away with putting barely anything on our trays. Emmett had it the worst. The amount of food he wasted daily could have fed a small village. It couldn't be helped though.

We took our usual table. Rose and I sat with our backs facing the general population, leaving the boys to sit across from us. They stomped over to the table with full trays, bickering over who was the real winner of the skirmish. The argument was punctuated with laughter as they recounted the carpet bombing of Emmett's head.

"Boys, boys….I think we all know whose attack was the most successful. 5 for 5 shots, no casualties aside for a tiny bit of shrapnel from previously mentioned friendly-fire." Rosalie took a swig from her bottle of water and promptly spit it back while pretending to take another. She had the motion down to a science, and it was incredibly believable.

"No casualties? NO CASULTIES?" Emmett was roaring with laughter. "I'll show you no casualties!"

He stood and braced himself on the table and shook his soaking head at Rosalie and me. We both leaned away, avoiding the spray as much as possible. Edward and Jasper dissolved into laughter, and Jasper spread the wealth causing the rest of us to join in.

"You…you look like a –dog, Emmett_" _I gasped through giggles. Then I heard a hushed voice from across the lunchroom.

"Bella, what are you staring at?"

Edward's head jerked up and he looked across the cafeteria, I assumed at the subject of the spoken comment. His gaze was intense, but lasted only a fraction of a second. Only I was aware of his focus; Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were discussing the inevitable snow war, and what would and wouldn't be allowed. Edward looked at me briefly, aware that I knew what he had done, and shrugged. He immediately launched into the rules and regulations of this evening, lending an embattled Rosalie some support. I moved to join them. That's when it started. I grabbed the edge of the table before the scene completely took over.

The Swan girl was finally making decisions, and they weren't the right ones. After seeing all of us in the lunchroom, she wasn't sure what her path would be. Then she saw Edward. His quick gaze told her what she wanted to know, and she's decided she is going to go to Biology. Edward, caught up in the intrigue of not being able to read her mind, is going to break his promise, and talk to her in class. The path has started, but where will it end? I frantically focused, trying in vain to keep the vision from dissolving. I was beginning to wonder if she really did have a death wish.

"Dammit_"_ I cursed under my breath. Jasper had already moved next to me and pulled me close so my slump wasn't evident. Emmett and Rosalie looked concerned. I had to throw them off. I carefully avoided Edward's eyes, and smiled brightly at my brother and sister. As much as I hated doing it, I focused on the previous laughter to get the emotion right so Jasper would be fooled as well.

"Just a little preview of tonight," I brightly lied, "nothing that I am going to tell you either."

There was some grumbling, but the cafeteria was clearing out and we all had to get to class. _Don't you go anywhere Edward! I need to talk to you._ His gait slowed, and he hung back from the others. I dumped my tray and caught up to Jasper. I rose up onto my tiptoes to brush his lips with a kiss.

"Sorry Jazz, I've got to go talk strategy with Captain Girlteam. Plus I want to give him a little encouragement before Bio._"_

Jasper nodded, and leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"I love you Lis, meet you after class. We've got an evening to plan." He smiled that heart wrenching smile and loped over to throw his arms across Emmett and Rosalie's shoulders. I made a mental note to check and see if Rosalie was going to pull a Benedict Arnold. _Edward, lets make this quick._

He walked up behind me.

"Yes, Alice?"

"I know you saw my vision, Edward, don't play stupid. I saw you going to talk to the Swan girl. You agreed you wouldn't make any contact with her, remember?_"_

He nodded.

"Please don't put me in a position where I can't support you, Edward. I've seen that she is safe, that you control yourself. But I saw that when the others asked me to look ahead for you after you promised_."_

I looked at him beseechingly, although he had told me before that that face only worked on Jasper. He sighed.

"Fine, Alice, alright. No contact. I'll do my best."

_"_No, Edward, promise me you won't talk to her. Promise me right now_."_

He shook his head slowly.

"I'm sorry little sister…I can't make that promise. I told you there was something odd about her, something I can't put my finger on. If I can figure it out, maybe I can get her out of my mind."

I immediately turned and stormed off. _That's not good enough Edward, and I won't be able to come and save you from the next building. You had better be ready to explain this to the others tonight, especially if we're packing our stuff._ I didn't bother to turn to see the hurt on his face. I heard it though, in his whispered response.

"Alice, I won't tear us apart again. I won't harm our family. I swear it."

_I hope you know what you're doing, because, for once, I don't._


	11. Marked

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to the wonderful Ms. Stephenie Meyer. I'm very appreciative that she lets me use Alice!**

**A/N: Again…thanks to "mad-beta-skilz" Tnuccio for doing a fantastical job of cleaning up my errors that were filthying Alice's story plus helping me over the rough patches!**

Marked

_Of all the ungrateful, reckless, idiotic…arrugh!! _I couldn't even form coherent thoughts as I battled vision after vision out of my mind. I barely heard the furious clicking of my heels on the industrial tile of the hallway through the red anger buzzing in my head. _Edward, you had better be listening to me. Leave her alone…you promised! I fought with Jasper over your situation, I told him we could trust you… how can you do this to me?_ I know it was futile. I swept into French and plopped miserably into my desk succumbing to the visions that fought to get into my mind. I see her sitting in class, before Edward for once, and her shock when he addresses her as if last Monday never happened. As the scene swirled away, another tried to take its place, but I blocked it out. Matthews had decided to start class with a speaking activity which, while good for me because of my fluency, was bad for me because we had to work with partners. _No one liked working with scary little Alice Cullen_. I smirked a bit at my solitary pity party. Stifling a giggle I had to admit though, no one could throw a party like I could. Perhaps I could weasel my way out of the pair work today.

"Mademoiselle Cullen, I see you haven't chosen a partner yet. Since everyone else is paired up, you're going to have to converse with me, compris?"

So much for weaseling, I fought the urge to roll my eyes as Matthews pulled a chair over to sit down by my desk. He was about to start something that he might not get to finish, especially with me in my present mood. Another vision threatened to take over, but I stuffed it to the back of my mind. I needed to give this man a reason to check on the rest of the class and leave me the hell alone.

I flashed him a rather enthusiastic toothy grin, and almost laughed out loud as he visibly recoiled. He unconsciously scooted his chair back away from my desk, as I rested my chin in my palms, both elbows on the desk's pencil-engraved surface. I needed to make this quick.

"Alors, ça va tézigue?" His brow furrowed as I used the most vulgar greeting I could think of without actually cursing.

"Je préfèrerais si tu vuvoyerais quand tu me parles."

His disdainful insistence that I be formal when talking to him stirred up my carefully suppressed anger. The biting retort died on my lips as the vision I had been persistently dodging took over my sight. It burned a single image in my mind: the Swan girl's tiny, frail, human body lays still and cold. The location is blandly generic, and there is no weather or signs of time, only that she is dead. The shock of seeing so clearly for this human girl softened the image at the corners. I struggled mightily to keep it in my mind. Despite my focus, the vision melted away and my eyes refocused to a frantic Mr. Matthews.

"Alice! Alice Cullen! Are you alright?" Matthews was hovering above me unsure, I'm sure, of what to do. "Does anyone know if she's a diabetic?"

I composed myself mentally as quickly as I could, but left the stricken look on my face. I needed out of this classroom right now.

"Monsieur, puis-j'aller aux toilettes?" I said weakly, hoping that since I'd asked to go in French he would acquiesce

"Actually no Alice, you need to go to the nurse's. I'll send someone with you."

Great, just great. I got ready to turn on the charm. If there was anyplace in this school where I didn't belong (besides Emmett and Rosalie's closet) it was the nurse's office. Medical professionals tend to get a bit concerned if one is room temperature with no pulse. Please let him pick Angela Webber. The girl seemed agreeable enough to be convinced to let me skip the nurse and cut class in the car. My strategy required a bit of suggestion.

"Angela Webber, sir, could Angela come with me?" I practically whispered. The tall girl covered her surprise almost immediately, and I knew my confidence in her was well placed. Her face showed concern, but her eyes were thoughtful as she came and took my books. I rose slowly out of my seat and pretended to steady myself. We walked at a humanly pace to the door.

"I'll post tonight's homework on the website Mesdemoiselles. Make sure you have it for tomorrow."

Out in the hall I rolled my eyes at Angela and winked. She smiled hesitantly.

"Angela, I really don't want to go to the nurse. Nothing is wrong with me; I just have a bit of a headache. Sometimes I get them so bad they make me zone out." I was careful to keep my tone honest and my smile soft and unthreatening. Scaring the girl into submission wasn't my objective. I reached out for my books and handed her the hall pass.

"Sure, no problem Alice. I'll tell Mr. Matthews I left you with the nurse."

I closed my eyes briefly to see if Matthews would check up with the nurse to see if I had been there. Luckily, he forgets all about my little spell after the double entendres in one of the performed dialogues knock me right out of his mind. Immediately the vision dissolved into another showing Edward in Biology. He's talking to the Swan girl. She looks confused, but responds to whatever questions he asks. When I opened my eyes, Angela is looking apprehensively in my direction. I reassure her before she had a chance to express her concerns.

"It's just my head Angela, really. I'm going to go sit in Edward's car. I just need some fresh air."

She nodded, gave me a tentative wave, and headed back to class. _Did you hear that, Edward? I'm going to get some fresh air in your CAR._ I hoped he was paying attention when I saw that little girl's corpse. Walking through the institutional doors I noticed the rain had already washed the snow away leaving the ground soggy. Tomorrow a pure white blanket would cover the wet muck. Forks was beautiful when it snowed, but, then again, wasn't everyplace? No! I refused to let myself be distracted by the coming weather. Enough was enough; I was going to have to lay down the law. Edward hadn't killed her, but she was dead anyways. Hopefully this path can be rerouted.

I reached the car and slid in, using the spare key to turn on the auxiliary power and play the radio. I still had some time to kill before class was over. I know Edward wouldn't leave in the middle of class, especially now that he had the Swan girl talking to him. Sighing to myself, I leaned back into the seat and closed my eyes to do a little mental inventory. The snow fight tonight remained blurry: it would happen, and Rosalie looks elated. That means she'll win, but I wasn't getting much else. At least I was assured that victory. Emmett is going to place an order for new canopy silks as a surprise. I guess I'll humor him and act the part. The bed will be fixed by Wednesday. It's a good thing that Rose arc welds like a professional because the weight of that bed frame would have required a dozen humans to move it to a shop. The ringing school bell yanked me from my trance. _Edward, get out here now!_ He had better be listening.

I wasn't disappointed. The driver's side door popped open and Edward slid gracefully into the leather seat. He turned to me expectantly.

"Did you see what you've done, Edward? Or were you so busy defying the family that you missed the little show in my head. I almost got sent to the nurse because of your fiasco!_"_

"Slow down Alice. She's fine. I didn't touch her. I just asked her a few questions to prove to her that I'm civil, and she answered. That's it. I had a few questionable moments of insanity, but I held them in check."

"Yeah, you didn't touch her; but something did Edward… she's marked now. I have a feeling you tempted fate, and it didn't like it."

"What are you talking about Alice?"

_Watch._ And with that thought I pulled up the vivid image of the Swan girl's lifeless body, still and pale. Edward's sharp intake of breath brought an uneasy told-you-so frown to my face. _I told you not to do it, but no, you had to talk to her. Now what?_

"Well, that's it then. I won't talk to her. Problem solved." His smug look frustrated me. He just wasn't getting it.

_No Edward. Problem __not__ solved. See?_ The Swan girl, cold and still, lying in the same nondescript place her thick mahogany hair fanned out behind her. _I'm telling you Edward, you set something in motion. I don't think you can stop it._ He was already shaking his head, obviously in denial.

"That's ridiculous Alice, since when have you been a fatalist?" My mouth dropped open in shock but he continued, oblivious, "Her path could change at any moment."

_Edward, I swear if I didn't love you, I'd kill you. Her path hasn't changed in the last hour and a half. I'm betting her path isn't going to change. Care to take me up on that?_ I flashed him a grim smile and held out my hand. _This time I do want the moon._

I thought I saw worry cross his eyes as he clasped my tiny hand in his. He shook my hand gravely, and then with the same solemn look, beeped my nose. Astonished by the subtle laughter I saw in his eyes, I jerked my hand out of his.

"You're going to lose this time Alice. It's simple enough to keep a human alive; you didn't say I couldn't protect her. It's a good thing you asked for the moon this time. I was worried that you would have asked for that on a bet you were going to win."

Incredulous, I stared at his brazenly confident face. My thoughts stuttered and his smirk grew. _I can't…you're actually…What the hell, Edward? I mean seriously…what the hell? You can't play with her _life_ like that. Whatever you've started you cannot stop. You can't be with her all the time. What has gotten into you? What if she has a heart attack or an embolism? You couldn't protect her from that._

"Sure, I could just get her to the hospital to see Carlisle. You're forgetting my medical knowledge Alice. Those things usually only kill you if you don't seek medical attention right away."

I honestly thought my jaw was going to fall off my face. It's not often that I was taken by surprise, but I didn't foresee this reaction at all. "_Who are you and what have you done with my brother, you imposter?"_ The laughter in his eyes increased, but his face stayed stoic. _I can't believe you're doing this. I'm done standing up for you Edward. If Jasper and Emmett want to tear you apart, they can have you._

"Bah, I'll take them on tonight. We'll see who beats who." He opened the door and stood up to watch for Emmett, Rose, and Jasper, then leaned down, palms resting on the roof of the car. "Who does beat who, by the way?"

"I'm done talking to you. Right now you're way below Emmett on my favorite people list. Stay out of my head, or you're going to get a mindful of me kissing Jasper._"_

"Aw, I love you Alice. Nothing is going to happen to Bella." _Bella?_ He looked at me squarely, "It's what she likes to be called…anyway, I told you, if she's marked because of me, then I'll just make sure she's safe. How much trouble can one little human girl get into anyways? You just need to tell me if something concrete comes up."

While keeping eye contact with him I let my mind flash back to this morning's attempted tryst in the maintenance closet. I got a slight bit of satisfaction at the grimace on his face before he pulled his head out of the car. _And stay out! _I maintained my train of thought until a deafeningly loud roar pulled me from my pleasant daydream. It had to be that ancient truck the Swan girl drives to school. I hoped, for her sake, it had all the necessary safety equipment. Just as I was about to tell Edward that perhaps he should have Rosalie go over the girl's truck two things happened simultaneously. Edward laughed at something in the parking lot, and I was struck by a vision so clear I gasped: The scene was unusual, as if viewed from a keyhole. I focused harder, trying to expand the narrow circle of sight, but it stayed limited. Edward sits relaxed at his piano, eyes closed with a contented smile curving his lips. The song drifting from the open lid crescendos, breathtakingly sweet and soothing. The piece is new, and very un-Edward like…it was moving. I could still hear the melody in my mind as the scene drifted away.

When I came back to the moment, Edward had leaned down again and was looking at me strangely. I shrugged, as puzzled as he, and opened my door to get out and slip into the back. Jasper would be here in a second. I wanted to be near him before he and Emmett killed Edward. Once they found out what he did, and what I saw, they were going to be furious. Although I was angry with Edward, it would still upset me if he was to meet an untimely demise and in accordance with mourning I would have to give Jasper the silent treatment. Edward snorted both at my movement and intentions. _Get out of my head Edward, I swear. I'm angry with you._

"But you won't be for long, Alice. What would I do without you?" He was leaning down again, whispering so our approaching siblings couldn't hear. "Can we at least enjoy the snow tonight before you throw me to the wolves?" His voice was barely a murmur, but his eyes were pleading. I sighed. _Fine. I'm done with your little game after tonight though, Edward. When Carlisle finds out you've put this girl in danger _and_ broken your promises to us he won't be happy._

He nodded, jaw clenched as raucous Emmett crammed his bulk through the driver's side door to sit on my left. Jasper eased in from the right and shot me a concerned look. He could feel the tension between Edward and me. I just shook my head and leaned against his side. Rosalie and Edward slammed the doors in unison, Edward revved the engine and Rose was already primping in the vanity mirror. We rode all the way home in a comfortable silence that only Edward wasn't privy to. We were all lost in our own thoughts, and by the look on Edward's face, he was trying desperately to give everyone privacy. I felt a twinge of sympathy. _I'm sorry Edward. I'll help you however I can._ His fingers loosened on the steering wheel, and his jaw relaxed… _It's too bad we couldn't be the twins; we share much more than Rose and Jasper._ His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror and I caught the grateful smile in them. I settled back against Jasper, contented, although part of me still worried.


	12. Presents and More Presence

**Disclaimer: None of the characters or Twilight ideas are mine. Alice sniff and her wonderful family of Twilight characters belong to the incredible Stephenie Meyer. Many thanks to her for letting me use them.**

**A/N: Ok..this is the finished product. It's much smoother thanks to Mad Beta Skilz Tnuccio now to be known as MbsT. She is just so tolerant of my random emails, missing attachments, and lost files! Hooray for her!**

Presents and More Presence

True to my word, I didn't tell a soul about Edward's little chat with 'Bella'. I came to the conclusion that I was tired of everyone fighting about what was best for us and what was best for Edward. If this girl died, Edward would carry that on his conscience forever. My anger and frustration with him would just be an extra burden and I couldn't watch him suffer for decades, constantly wondering what if..? He didn't deserve the discontentment and solitude with which he surrounded himself now. I cannot imagine what he would be like after this girl dies.

Esme and Carlisle had gone on a day hunting trip so the big house stood empty when Edward's car rolled past. Esme knew we had planned for snow wars all night, so she left a list of things to do before the snowfall began. Edward was deep in thought all evening, participating in the mundane tasks that were waiting for us when we got home from school. After a few half-hearted laps with the drymop, he retreated upstairs to brood.

Carlisle was going to work the graveyard shift tonight because of the anticipated inclement weather. The people in Forks rarely saw more than a foot of snowfall per year, not nearly enough to become accomplished drivers in icy weather. This provided the ER at the hospital with an over-abundance of work when the weather turned nasty. The accidents were usually minor: some whiplash, stitches, concussions, and bruising from the minor fender benders and sliding off the road into random stationary objects. Carlisle liked to make sure no one was overwhelmed, and since lack of sleep didn't affect him he would often stay much later than the required 7 am. The hospital didn't know how lucky they were to have him.

"Alice!" Rosalie's shout broke into my thoughts as I absentmindedly swiped a dust cloth along the keys of Edward's piano. Of course there wasn't any dust because Esme was a compulsive cleaner, but she'd put "dust" by my name on the list, so dust I did.

"Alice, get up here! We need to discuss strategy!"

I could tell from her steely tone that she was getting impatient. After swiping the cloth one final time across the smooth white surface, I dropped it in the tote that held Esme's cleaning stuff and skipped upstairs. Edward and Rosalie were in her and Emmett's room. Edward was perched on their gorgeous rosewood dresser as Rosalie lounged on the matching four-poster surrounded by lilac pillows. She lazily twirled a lock of honey-gold hair around her finger as she gazed into the lavender canopy, deep in thought. Edward was sitting in Rodin's Thinker pose, except his thumb rested on his angular cheekbone, four fingers pressed lightly to his forehead. His eyes were closed as he listened to Rosalie's silent ideas. _Are we conducting this meeting in silence? Since when do Rosalie and I read minds?_ Edward stayed still, only opening his eyes to catch my own.

"Rose?_"_ I asked, giving Edward a small nod, "Whatcha want? Esme left me a list of things to dust, but according to the visions I'm getting, she's going to look at totally different stuff, which is pretty unfair if you ask me._"_

"How about you use your amazing powers for good, Alice, instead of for cleaning?" Rosalie responded snarkily not even bothering to move her eyes from the fluttering purple silk, "Just tell us what they are going to do so we can plan from that."

"Tsk tsk Rose, that's cheating. Plus, you didn't say the magic word._" _Rose pulled her golden eyes from her fluttering canopy to raise a delicate eyebrow at me. _"_How about I go back and dust the stuff that Esme is going to check, and you two dry mop all the hardwood like you're supposed to be doing?_" _Edward stifled a snort.

"Oh come on Alice…_**please**_." Rosalie whined, flipping gracefully onto her stomach and resting her pouting face on her palms. "I can't lose to Emmett; we have a bet and there's no way that I want to pay up!"

"Oh I have a score of my own to settle with Emmett, darling sister. I have no intention of us losing. I'm just not going to play stool pigeon so we can trounce them. I like to keep things close._" _I winked conspiratorially at Edward. _I actually want to beat the pants off of them, but I can't be sure Rose isn't a mole. _

"Oh you two…Emmett's right. You're thick as thieves." Grumbled a disgruntled Rosalie, catching my wink. "Just make sure we win Alice. I don't care by how much."

The game we played in the snow had evolved over the decades into a complicated war game. Our first action when we moved to a new location, aside from unpacking and scoping out the high-end retailers of course, was to establish where "the game" would be played. Boundary lines were mentally drawn; forts and bunker locations were established so that when it actually did snow, we could get right to pummeling each other. The game was incredibly physical, with hand-to-hand fighting as well as launching snowballs and wrestling in the snow. Points were given for direct hits with snow missiles, physical takedowns, and takeover of enemy bunkers or headquarters. Score was kept by shouting points taken, the running total to be kept in our heads. We played until we had to stop; there were no rules for ending the game except by forfeit to the other team, or school. I'm figuring it will be school that forces the end tomorrow morning. I can't imagine Emmett conceding any type of competition, and I'd seen Rosalie celebrating in several different visions.

"I'm off to finish dusting, and then to do a bit of drawing. You going to get started on my bed Rose?"

"You're going to draw? You're starting another design house aren't you?!" Rosalie bounced to her knees on the bed, all thoughts of tonight's fight gone. She bit her perfect full lip, eyes excited, waiting for my response.

"I'm thinking about it." I admitted hesitantly, "There really hasn't been much around here to do lately. I'm getting bored. I 'm thinking maybe something along the lines of winter wear? How about you and I talk about it later on?_"_

"I'll get started on your bed now Alice, if you're going to let me look at your drawings when you're finished. Oh I'm so excited! Finally something going on in this dreary little town."

Rose practically skipped out of the room, her light footfalls rapid as she descended the stairs at a breakneck pace. Edward chuckled softly, and shook his head. He slipped casually from the dresser and walked slowly to the door, pausing in the doorframe to smile at me.

"You just made her night, you know. She'll have that bed done by Wednesday just to get a look at those pictures. Are you going to let her model for you again?" he asked curiously.

I shrugged. _I imagine so…you both sell collections faster than Bundchen does, and I'd have to pay her. _I hesitated, holding my thoughts on the supermodel to keep him from leaving before I had my say. _So…I'm still having visions about the Swan girl, Edward. She's still dead. _I crossed my arms in front of me and watched as his face fell. He shook his head and walked from the doorway, unwilling to talk about it. _Don't make me shout to you Edward; they'll all hear me then. I said I would help, but it's going to be on my terms._

God it was just like him to avoid this. I wanted to stomp up the stairs after his egocentric self. My brother had serious control issues that needed dealing with, now. _EDWARD I swear…_ Startled, I stopped mid-thought as he leaned halfway into the room and grabbed my arm, yanking me out into the hallway.

"Fine Alice," he growled, "Lets chat upstairs, if you don't mind." His grip on my arm didn't loosen as he practically dragged me down the hall to the stairs. A memory flashed into my mind: a toddler at the mall I had recently seen in the same situation. His mother tightly held his arm in irritation, the child tripped crazily along on his tiptoes, trying to keep up with her strides. The only thing missing in my scenario was the unhappy whining, and I was not about to oblige.

Angrily I jerked my arm from Edward's grasp, unfortunately at the same moment he chose to loosen it. I staggered backwards, graceless, and my hands shot out and grabbed Edward's outstretched arm. Dammit, if I was going down, he was going with me, so I yanked hard and let my downward momentum add force. He caught my vengeful thought a half second too late, and his eyes met mine in shock. If there were something us vampires rarely did, it was fall, and the two of us dropped like rocks. The following crash brought Jasper from his study and Emmett from the yard.

"Didn't see that coming, did you little sis?" Edward chuckled as he disentangled himself from the snarl of arms and legs. I heard Jasper and Emmett trying to stifle their laughter as they returned to their previous activities. I groaned when I realized my elbows had left two deep parallel dents in the hickory hardwood floor. Esme was going to kill me. Edward met my eyes with a mischievous crooked smile upon hearing my dismayed thought.

"Would you like me to carry you Alice, since you're having trouble walking and _seeing_ this evening?" The devil was in his eyes as he held out his hand to help me up. "Lets adjourn to my room. We can pull a couple of planks from my closet floor and do some minor floor repair."

"Go to hell Edward!_"_ His barb about my talent piqued my pride. I scrambled up almost as ungracefully as I fell. _What is wrong with me?_ I leaned against the wall, closed my eyes, and attempted to center myself before turning on my heel and stomping down the stairs.

"Oh no you don't…we're going to go talk wee one." Edward took my hand and pulled me gently back up the few stairs I managed to put between us. He leaned forward and whispered, "There's nothing wrong with you either; it's entirely my fault again. I'm leaning on you too much. Lets go upstairs, I have something for you that I hope makes up for the fact that I've been less than a perfect brother."

Presents! I didn't need to look ahead to know he'd stashed my Gaultier in his room and probably had been holding it for such a moment. His teasing remark was forgiven, and his broken promise concerning the Swan girl was pushed aside in my hurry to drag him up to his third floor sanctuary. Busting through his door, I happily threw myself down amongst the boxes and opened them as fast as I could.

"They got here today?! How did you manage to get them up here without me knowing? Is this the entire spring collection? How could you get it all here that quickly, the show was only Wednesday and I didn't put my request in until Friday..._"_ I bounced in my excitement, my mouth moved as fast as my hands plowed through tissue to unearth the gorgeous clothing.

"Oh my god Edward, it's all already tailored! How did you do this?_" _It was a good thing I didn't need to breathe because the shock from everything already cut down to my size was breathtaking.

"Anything for you Alice, I told you that." He was so delighted with my excitement that his eyes were alight. "You deserve it, I just had to make a few calls. So you like them then?" His voice was only a little unsure.

"Oh I love everything! Thank you thank you thank you!" I stood and danced over to give him a hug and kiss. "I'm going to take everything downstairs and rotate my closet. Why don't you go out and get some hand warmers for snowballs tonight?_" _I closed my eyes for a moment to see how many we would need.

"Two dozen should be plenty. Don't tell Jasper or Emmett where you're going. They've forgotten to buy any!_"_

He chuckled and gathered several boxes to help me downstairs. I had something to keep me occupied now until the snow started. Reoccurring flashes of a dead human girl just didn't make for a pleasant past time. This girl was all consuming, she had practically monopolized my visions. I shoved her out of my mind when I caught Edward's sigh. _I'm sorry._ He just shook his head and pushed the door open to my room. He carefully set down the boxes in the open space where the bed had been, turned and gave me a quick kiss on his way out the door. I wasn't going to push him any further tonight. We could talk tomorrow, and I needed to get away from the topic myself for my own mental health. Nothing could pull me out of the doldrums like a good closet rotation though, thank goodness for Gauthier and big brothers!

The house was peaceful, only an occasional bellow from Emmett breaking the pleasant silence. My room was filled with piles of clothing, beautiful new clothing, beautiful new _high-end_ clothing. I lay back against a folded stack of last season's sweaters, closed my eyes and allowed myself to swim in the bliss that is high fashion. I felt a vision tug at the corner of my mind, and I let it in, the scene swirled in like the snowflakes that would soon be blanketing the ground. Edward this time, and I couldn't help but smile at the look of utter contentment and happiness on his face. He was holding a small velvet box and on the satin lining laid a gorgeous diamond heart. His tawny eyes were so soft, uncharacteristically looking for approval, from whom, though? I struggled to see as the vision vanished like blowing snow. Was he buying me another gift for something he hadn't done yet? I focused again, hoping I could pull another version of the scene from my mind but I was rewarded with the haunting vision of Bella Swan, her pale face peaceful in death.

"What are you thinking about, Lis?" Jasper leaned in the doorway, a pained expression on his face. "So much sadness for someone with such beautiful new things."

"I was just remembering how it feels when we're all not together." I mumbled, pain tugging at my heart for lying to him, "I don't want to remember anymore, Jazz, come help me forget."

I reached for him, eager to push the memory of the girl from my mind. He crossed the room in three strides, knelt beside me and pulled me into his arms. All my worries melted like a spring snow; here was my sanctuary. I reached up and brushed his golden hair from his eyes so I could lose myself in them. Everything was all worth this, all the apprehension and worry, all the anger and sadness was worth this moment and every moment we shared. I softly traced his lips with my finger, contentment flooding me when the corners tugged up into a smile and his eyes crinkled. I lay surrounded by a placebo, but with a panacea in my arms.

"I think we have unfinished business to attend to, darlin'."I shivered as he gently caught my finger between his teeth.

"You're consorting with the enemy you know…Emmett would have you court martialed.-_" _My words caught as his tongue swirled lazily around my finger and his eyes smoldered.

He released my finger and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "How do you know this isn't General's orders?" I closed my eyes as he kissed the sensitive skin under my ear.

"You… won't get… anything out of… me, Major_." _I murmured letting myself succumb to the sensations spiraling from his kisses. His tongue traced my trembling lips; my breath came in hitches and gasps.

"Is that a challenge soldier?" His throaty whisper sent tingles down my spine, and as his lips claimed mine I knew I had lost.


	13. Snow War No Peace

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. I am merely borrowing them.**

**A/N : Thank you to Mbs Tnuccio who has again corrected my mess during work, and for showing me a few new ins and outs with MS Word. Hooray for her! Any errors missing are her doing, and errors still in existence are my fault.**

Snow War No Peace

"Hurry up you two!" I scrambled to take the rock-hard ball of ice from Rosalie's cold, delicate hands. "We aren't going to have enough at this rate!"

Edward, Rosalie, and I were frantically making snowballs for the upcoming battle. It was assembly line production: Edward held an activated hand warmer in each hand under thin latex gloves. The packed snow would melt a bit in his heated hands and he would pass it off to Rosalie who then squeezed it for a second in her smooth icy palms causing the ball to harden into a solid projectile. She handed the frigid sphere of vampire pain to me to load up into backpacks. There was a modified pack for each of us; we wore them backwards so that we could easily grab the crystalline missiles and whip them at our poor, handwarmerless brethren. My job didn't require me to pay much attention and I let my mind run over my glorious evening so far.

Jasper's attempt to coerce me into revealing classified information had been a success; however he had no time to act on the information I had, rather willingly, provided him. I'd mentioned, as we lay sated amongst scattered shirts, that making good snowballs was incredibly hard when one's hands were the same temperature as the snow. He had groaned as his head rolled back against his shoulders, he then leapt up, hopping into an absolutely sexy pair of jeans. My fingers remembered tracing his washboard abs which were exposed by the flapping unbuttoned shirt. He'd leaned down, brushed a kiss against my smirking lips, grabbed his worn cowboy boots, and rushed down the stairs. I'd heard him yell for Emmett to meet him in the kitchen. I had been able to see that they decided to warm their hands on a heated stove burner. It would be incredibly ineffective, but I'd decided not to let that little bit of information slip, unless of course there was more coercion involved. From the wisps of hushed conversation that had gone on in the kitchen I knew there would be no further reconnaissance missions, so much for further coercion. I'd sighed as I stepped carefully over the haphazardly strewn clothing. Pulling on a pair of worn jeans and a lightweight smoky gray sweater, I'd snatched my well-loved pair of Dr. Marten boots from the cavernous closet. I'd padded silently downstairs and out to meet Rosalie in the garage.

We'd finished talking strategy as Rose had masterfully reconstructed my annihilated bed frame. She'd spoken quietly from behind a gloriously pink welder's helmet, and I'd perched, arms around knees, on her creeper, the wheeled board she used for sliding on her back under cars. Edward had arrived, silent as a cat, and had brushed the evidence of snowfall from his unruly hair. He'd been holding our packs, the hand warmers he'd purchased before the store had closed, and the gloves. The falling snow and glint in his eyes had been the only motivation we'd needed to get out of the garage and to the closest bunker.

"Alice! Earth to Alice…hello?? Are you going to be able to stay in the now with us?" Rosalie snapped her long fingers in front of my staring eyes and shocked me out of my reverie. I started and glanced down at my mittened hands holding two snowballs, and three more were piled up next to Rosalie.

Edward arched an eyebrow at me, and tried to keep a straight face. "Oh we're going to beat the pants off of those domestic gods." He starting working at an invampire speed, motivated by my memory. "Who knew they knew how to use a stove?"

Rosalie snorted, focused intently on keeping the growing pile next to her manageable. I divided the waiting ice-jectiles into our practically bursting packs as I hummed a few bars of the lilting melody from my vision earlier this afternoon. I felt the tug of a vision, but I managed successfully to push it away. I didn't want to see _her_ now, pale, peaceful and disrupting to my happiness. I hope this wasn't something I was going to have to battle all night. My hands were going to be plenty full with war games; I didn't need '_Bella'_ Swan intruding.

I cringed as her name crossed my mind. Darn it darn it darn it! I shot a glance at Edward to be rewarded with his face emotionless; his clenched jaw and brusque movements packing the last of the snowballs into his pack were the only tell to his discontent. I slipped the remaining twenty hand warmers into the front of my pack, ignoring the new tension. Rosalie must have assumed that the edge in the atmosphere was anticipation for the upcoming battle. I did nothing to sway her from her mentality.

"Let's go troops…Rose you've got the east bunker, Alice HQ is yours, I'll take the west. If Emmett's thick head is to be believed, he'll be heading west. Jasper is thinking about flanking us from the east. What do you think girls?" Both looked pointedly at me.

"What?_"_ I stared at both of them in disgust, "I told you I'm not giving any unfair advantages. You already have Captain Mindreader; you don't need his trusty sidekick Futurella as well. Figure it out on your own!_"_

I shoved my arms through the needlessly padded straps of my pack and stalked away in mock anger. I could hear Edward chuckling as he pulled on his pack. He was shaking his head with that amused crooked smile of his, and when he met my eyes he stuck out his tongue and ran off to the west bunker.

"Captain Mindreader, eh? I liked Captain Girlteam better." Rosalie smirked as she caught up to me. Then she tapped her first two fingers to her brow in a mock salute and she dashed off for the unprotected bunker.

"To the trees!_"_ I whispered to myself giggling a bit at my stupid movie reference. I jogged towards enemy HQ to set the ball rolling.

"Three!" Rosalie shouted from my left, joyously calling out our first points of the night. Jasper's responding complaint from the other side of the field about us not having started yet brought a smile to my face. Everything was going as seen; I just had to hurry before Jazz circled back. I broke into a run veering left until the trees began to look familiar. A towering paper birch loomed ahead, its silver bark glowing in the snow-reflected moonlight. _Oh Jazz._ I shook my head. _So predictable, silly rebel._ _You should know better than to get caught running reconnaissance unarmed. _ I glanced up and saw his pack hanging about thirty feet up right where I knew it would be.

"Five! Arrrgh, ow!" Edwards's triumphant yell was cut off by Emmett's bellow.

"Two!"

Time slipped away from me. This was never going to work, especially if Edward didn't engage with Emmett. Emmett was the rogue element; his blip hadn't shown on my earlier radar. I slipped out of my pack and set it against the base of the tree. I'd stashed a set of crampons in the shoe storage compartment at the bottom. I quickly pulled them on over my boots, and pulled off my belt to use as a stabilizing strap. I slung the pack onto my back this time and started the ascent.

"Here goes nothing." I muttered and started climbing. It didn't take more than ten seconds to get to the bag, but getting there wasn't what was going to take time. I leaned close to the tree and buckled the oversized belt around my waist and the trunk. Unzipping Jasper's pack without spilling all the rudimentary-shaped snowballs proved to be more difficult that I had initially thought.

"Ten!" Edward shouted jubilantly.

"No way, Edward. That wasn't a pin…oof"

"No, but that was!"

I closed my eyes to check. I was getting nervous, I hadn't heard from Rose or Jasper in a couple of minutes. I can see he's stalking her, silent as the snow itself. His focus is totally on her movements… I was safe for a bit longer. Jasper's bag gaped partway open like the backpack of an elementary student. I reached back and pulled out the first hand warmer, broke the plastic, and shook it to activate. I dropped it into the drooping pocket and reached back for another to open. I continued the repetitive motions until all twenty were in the backpack. If I were lucky, the heat generated from 20 eight-hour hand warmers would simply melt the munitions and not cause the bag to spontaneously combust, in turn, igniting the entire forest. Wait, when did I ever leave something to luck? A quick glance ahead told me that nothing would burn aside from Jasper's temper. Mischief managed; time to execute mission number two.

As I unbuckled the belt, the crash of two boulders colliding echoed through the forest. Rosalie's angry scream pierced the air.

"Seven!" Jasper exulted. I heard another thump and shout. He had stopped gloating, so she must have gotten a hold of him in return.

"Jasper, where's your wife?" Emmett roared his words were strained as he struggled with Edward.

"Jasper has enough problems on his hands without worrying about me Emmett." I sang sweetly, "By the way Emm, where did _your_ wife learn that wrestling move?_"_

"I'm dropping back Jasper, she's behind our lines!"

The time for finesse was over. I unbuckled the crampons and left them to stick in the trunk of the tree as I let myself drop the thirty feet to the ground. I hit the ground running; I couldn't lose this opportunity to a retreating Emmett.

"11, 12, 13, 14…" Edward was shouting as fast as he pulled snowballs and whipped them at Emmett's withdrawing form.

"Edward." Emmett growled loudly, "I'm going to make you eat those when I get back."

"Why not now, you hill jack!" Edward challenged recklessly, and I didn't need my visions to see that it stopped Emmett dead in his tracks. My eyes opened in shock at the insult. _No one_ ever called Emmett _any_ derogatory name for mountain people without incurring his wrath. That wrath, although rare, was terrifying. Edward must have picked up on my urgency and was buying me more time. I just hope he wasn't going to die for it.

"Run Edward, run!_"_ I called over my shoulder as I broke from the forest's edge and sprinted to the large outbuilding. Dropping my pack at the door of the garage, I slipped in the dark building. I'd learned a lot about cars in the few days last week when Edward wasn't here and I'd kept Rosalie company while she tinkered around. Now was the time to exact my revenge for Emmett's bed-sabotage.…I kicked the obnoxious yellow used oil collection pan next to Rose's workbench under Emmett's hulking brute of a Jeep.

"11!" Jasper shouted as Rose screamed again, this time in anger and frustration. I shook my head. She should know better than to give him something to feed off of.

I crawled under the lifted chassis, not bothering with the creeper. I wasn't planning on spending a lot of time down here. The shadows made it hard to see, but I found the bolt on the Jeep's oil pan and twisted it off over the yellow collection container. Oil streamed out, silky-smooth and silent. After about two minutes I replaced the bolt and slid myself and the collection pan from under the car.

"ALICE! YOU HAD BETTER HOPE I DON'T FIND YOU!" Jasper roared as Rosalie practically laughed out "15, 16 and 17." His lack of a point response led me to believe he had finally found himself without a means of returning fire.

A rampaging Emmett flashed in my mind. He isn't going to catch Edward, but Jasper's threat tips him off that Edward was just luring him away. Damnation. Five more minutes! I carelessly dumped the collection pan into the drum for recycling, and grabbed the hose. With the hood popped and the oil cap off I filled the engine with water. Then I screwed the cap back on, dropped the hood quietly into place and snaked the hose back onto the rack. I could hear shouting in the distance, but no scoring. As I slipped out the door and grabbed my pack I noticed a lightening of the sky to the east. It was time to relieve Rosalie, and pay the piper for the soggy backpack.

I ran, looping around so that I would come in from the north. I imagined Jasper was retreating from an armed-to-the-teeth Rosalie making him easy to intercept. The trees flew by and the snow-muffled silence was broken only by my light footsteps.

"18, niiiiine…..teen! Ow, Hey! No throwing trees, Jasper!"

"ALICE WHITLOCK, JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET A HOLD OF YOU!"

"Oh you couldn't catch me on your best day Jazz!_"_ I taunted merrily as I ran, trying to get ahead of their voices. Where were Edward and Emmett? I hadn't heard a thing from the west side of the battleground in a while. Briefly I entertained the thought that Emmett had actually killed Edward for his comment. Then I considered the trouble he'd be in with Esme and Carlisle for killing the "favorite." I figured he was probably just holding him under in the river. Rapid footsteps pounded to my left, and a leaping Jasper burst into my mind. I dodged right without hesitation and felt the slight breeze as his outstretched form landed where my previous path would have put me. He was up and running in a flash.

"Oh Lis…" He whispered, his voice cloyingly sweet. "You are in soooo much trouble."

We were about equal in speed, but if I focused a bit I could be aware of when and where he was going to make a grab for me.

"Hurry Rose, make a run for their HQ and end this. Then try to get back here before I end up MIA._" _Jasper's low chuckle floated over the crunch of our feet on the snow and forest debris. He was gaining ground and I could sense he was tensing to pounce. I swerved hard right again as he leapt forward for a tackle. I held my new path, and the swerve caused me to double back. Jasper wasn't expecting me to come back towards him and I ducked his outstretched arm.

"She's heading back your way boys!" His tone mischievous, his gait increased to an all out sprint. _Boys?? Plural?? _They must have put on a side bet as to who would catch me first. The rats.

_Edward, you had better not be in on this!_ His responding laughter was all the answer I needed. I heard a thundering rumble in the thick woods to my right as Emmett exploded from the tree line. I had only a split second to slow my momentum and drop to the ground, rolling backwards. Jasper had no chance to adjust for my abrupt stop and he tripped over my prostrate form. The crash of Jasper smashing into Emmett's open arms drowned out Edward's laughter. As I jumped up to run back towards Rosalie, I heard him behind me and ducked as his arm whistled above me.

"You're much more of a challenge than this silly game, little sis." He chuckled turning as quickly as I did. "I don't know why we just don't play Catch the Alice."

I didn't have a chance outrunning Edward and he knew it. I immediately began cubing numbers and took off into the forest. The only way I could get to Rose before he got me was to keep him out of my head. I zigzagged from tree to tree, running numbers in my head as fast as my footsteps. _1000, 1331, 1728, 2197_ Edward's laughter came dangerously close behind me.

"Alice, you can't keep me out forever." His voice bubbled with amusement then dropped to the lowest of whispers, "Let me catch you, little sister. It's a good thing you haven't seen what Emmett was planning on doing to you. It involved your new clothing. He wants to know what you did to get him back for the bed."

Emmett shouted from the forest edge. "Did you catch her yet Edward? Jasper and I will draw straws over who gets her."

_10648, 12167…_argh…I couldn't focus on the numbers _and_ block the vision of him jumping forward to tackle me. I tried feigning right, but he grabbed my wrist, seeing right through my feint. I slowed to a stop knowing it wasn't worth the struggle. If I was lucky, Esme would call telling us it was time to get ready for school. Edward smiled his crooked smile, trying to charm me.

"I have to turn you over to one of them Alice…" he stopped frowning, thoughts interrupted by something only he could hear.

"WE WIN! WE HAVE THE MOST POINTS AND I TAGGED BOTH BUNKERS AND HQ!" Rosalie's elated voice echoed through the breaking dawn and snow-shadowed trees. I heard both Jasper and Emmett groan as they anticipated her bragging for the rest of the day. Smiling, I jerked my wrist out of Edward's grasp and headed towards home. I saw that Esme would be calling to us from the deep porch, and from my vision Edward knew there would be no time to continue this new game of chase. He caught up to me and threw his arm around my shoulders.

"So, who's it going to be? The unarmed Major, or the raging hill jack?" Edward's face was as solemn as church, but his eyes danced.

I suppressed a giggle and made my face as serious as his. "I think I'll take my chances with the unarmed Major. I might have something that he would want to bargain for."

"As you wish." He winced, "Although I would have preferred that you chose the mountain man. Paybacks are hell, and I won amnesty only if I turned you over to him."

He paused, smiling that smile again. "What did you do to him anyway? I could tell you were anxious about time, but you were awfully good about guarding your intentions."

"Oh you'll see._"_ I flashed him a devious grin and continued the sentence in my head. _I'm not telling a soul…and just because you don't think you have one doesn't mean I'm telling you either!_

He rolled his eyes, that easy smile unchanged by my refusal to cough up the details. _I was subtle this time, but you'll know. Believe me._

"Edward, Rose, Emmett, Alice, Jasper! It's five o'clock." Esme's sweet voice rang through the crisp morning air.

"I'm going in now, I need to get ready. Coming?_"_ I already knew the answer, but I asked anyway. I'm sure he was going to catch up with Emmett and attempt to weasel out of any retribution Emmett intended. Catching my thought, he looked me right in the eye and winked.

"I'll catch up to you later Alice. I've got business to settle." He turned and shouted towards the house. "She's all yours Jasper. Don't forget about all of that hard work you put into those snowballs!"

"Hey!" I punched his arm as I walked to my pending doom, "No fair reminding him!"

He snickered as he ran off to join Emmett then change for school. I meandered home, trying to step in Edward's footprints so I wouldn't create my own path and mar the perfect whiteness that surrounded the house. I had chosen the lesser of the two evils, Jasper would be so simple to distract, especially since the bed collapse had prevented me from using the "surprise" I had purchased from La Perla. He'd be singing my praises in no time. Thank goodness for expensive underwear, and single-minded men. I was practically skipping by the time I reached the door. Everything had gone exactly as I saw. Today started so beautifully: I had new clothes, I'd one upped Emmett, and now I was going to earn rank with the Major. Humming that little melody as I walked through the door, I made a mental note to tell Edward to transpose it into sheet music for me. It was such an inspiringly happy piece; I didn't want to wait until the vision fulfilled itself. I skipped upstairs to Jasper, beautiful clothing, and a perfect morning.


	14. Accident

**Disclaimer: All characters and some dialogue belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. I am simply playing with them until I have Breaking Dawn to read.**

**A/N: Finally!…It feels like I've been waiting ages to write this part. Mbs Tnuccio will hopefully be able to return for CH 15, she had much more pressing matters to attend to.**

**This chapter was guest Beta'ed by betagoddess……Ava Sinclair! She took a break from her FABULOUS story Evening Falls to help me out so I could leave Tnuccio alone. I highly suggest you check out her AU Twilight stories Extraordinary and its sequel Evening Falls. Do it, now!…err, well…actually, after you read this and review please ;)**

Accident

The journey to school this morning was exhilaratingly treacherous; the Volvo slid and fishtailed as Edward pushed it to its limits in the slick slush covering the roads. Teenagers drive as if death weren't a consequence and we were no different, except that we actually were immortal. Edward was hoping to get to school early for a few donuts in the parking lot before anyone else arrived.

The atmosphere in the car was undeniably joyous. Our morning had been beautiful. Rosalie glowed from victory; her happy smile actually sparkled in her golden eyes. Emmett was his typical boisterous self, pleased because Rose was happy and smug in his belief that I hadn't been able to prank him again. Jasper's head lolled back against the seat, eyes closed and lips curled into a subtle, satisfied smile. His left arm curled possessively around me, thumb hooked in the waistband of my jeans. The contentment he kicked out made me feel like I was floating in that hazy-happy place that exists between slumber and wakefulness. It was the closest to dreaming that I would ever get so I let myself bask in the sensation.

"I hate to break it to you Edward." I opened one eye lazily and met his gaze in the rearview mirror, "You weren't the only one who thought the school lot would be the perfect spinout spot."

I watched his jaw tighten in annoyance as he took in the scene in my mind. Several Forks High students had woke up early to spin their cars in the icy school parking lot. I focused for a moment to see what would happen if we went anyway. Three still-scenes melted into each other: one showed a rusty Jeep Cherokee smashing into the back quarter panel of the Volvo, the second, Edward pulling the driver's side door off of the Cherokee when the offending driver refused to get out, and the third involved Edward, Carlisle, and Chief Swan at the police station. Edward sighed in disappointment, and eased off the accelerator.

"Aw, I'm sorry Edward." I opened my one eye again, and fought to keep the laughter out of my voice. Emmett twisted his bulk in the front seat to look at me questioningly.

"Some rather ambitious humans have beaten Edward to the parking lot. If we go, the Volvo's going to get hit." I settled back against Jasper's shoulder and closed my eyes again in anticipation of that fuzzy feeling returning.

"Oh go on Edward, you know we could pound out any dents in a night. We might need to send it out for repainting, though." Rosalie eyes were alight as she pondered bodywork on the Volvo, then they turned thoughtful. "Emm, I want a paint booth addition on the garage for my birthday. I'm tired of having to send cars out to be painted."

"Sure Rosie, whatever you want." Emmett was so used to giving Rosalie whatever she asked for, I doubted that he even realized what he'd agreed to get her. It was comical to hear his change in tone as he actually thought about what she said. "Do you even know how to use a professional paint booth?"

"Emmett!" Rosalie tried to sound put out, but her affectionate smile killed any traces of indignation. "There's proof right there that you don't listen to me!"

"Enough, the two of you! Next thing we all know this mock argument will turn into something that will require _real_ making up and I don't think the desks in the maintenance closet can handle any more abuse!" I struggled to keep the smirk off my face as Edward looked at Emmett in confusion.

"We can't go because Edward commits a small misdemeanor and Carlisle has to go get him down at the station." I clarified for everyone's benefit. "We all know how much he loves this car. God forbid anyone hurts his _mate_."

The car shook as Emmett's laughter roared and he clapped Edward on the back. I unsuccessfully tried to suppress my giggles and Rosalie chuckled, eyes sparkling with mirth. Even Jasper laughed, increasing the euphoria in the car. Edward lost his battle to remain stoic and his relaxed laughter joined ours.

Denied donuts, Edward decided to get his thrills on the way to school instead of in the parking lot. It burned up time, and much to Rosalie's dismay, tires. He randomly locked the brakes, whipped the steering wheel to the left to send the car sliding sideways down the deserted road. Jasper and Emmett whooped and hollered as the slides got longer and longer, knowing that Edward pushed to car to ridiculous speeds to lengthen the skid. I kept my eyes closed and let the visions come as they pleased. I was sure that Edward was using my talent to ensure we would not be caught, or worse, cause someone harm.

_She_ appeared eventually, still and pale, her mahogany hair fanned out behind her smooth face. I had recognized the incoming scene by its muddled edges and misty quality, but I hadn't been able to stop it before Edward saw. I heard his hissed intake of air and felt his foot ease off of the gas. I sensed Jasper raise his head to look at me. I knew he felt Edward's shock and dismay, and he assumed that it was about something I had envisioned. _Again, Edward. You owe me again. You know I hate lying to him. I want something more than clothing this time._

"He was going to get caught." The lie was made easier by my closed eyes. Jasper relaxed against the seat, apparently believing my falsehood. _I want a shopping companion, Edward, for five years. I know there's nothing you like better than to run for me while I try things on._ _Put me in a situation where I need to lie again and I'm tacking on an additional decade._ Even Rosalie didn't really enjoy shopping with me very much; I could spend hours in one store. For the others it was a dreadful form of torture. I slit my eyes and smiled in satisfaction at his curt nod and the annoyed tension on his face. He turned up the stereo, and accelerated down the isolated road towards our collective hell.

The parking lot was poorly plowed, and I doubt the school received near the amount of salt for which they'd paid the plowing company. The smoothed snow had refrozen in places creating patches of ice untouched by sand or salt. Edward parked the car a bit farther away than usual, and then mumbled something about not wanting someone to skid into it. Rosalie grumbled about having to walk so far with her suede boots in the slush but Emmett, ever the gentleman, gallantly offered to carry her to dry land.

"Do you want me to carry you too, Lis?" Jasper wasn't about to be outdone by Emmett. I rolled my eyes and he grinned. I may have had high-end tastes, but I was a low maintenance kind of girl. Plus, I knew better than to wear suede in the snow, I mean come on, really?

All four doors popped open in unison, and we climbed out of the car and into the chaos that was the parking lot. Snowballs flew and people slipped and slid on slick spots. I slung my bag across my shoulders and moved to lean against the hood and wait for Jasper as he pulled his own pack from the trunk. I was about to ask him to meet me in the library during lunch when the unmistakable squeal of rubber on asphalt cut off my thought. I whipped around and located the source of the ear-numbing sound.

A deep blue van had hit one of the unsalted icy patches of lot and was now careening out of control towards the line of parked cars. I heard a low gasp from near the front of the car and then realized that the Swan girl was directly between her monster of a truck and the sliding van. So this was how the human girl was going to die. I frowned; wishing potential witnesses didn't surround us. One of us could have easily prevented the accident. Now there was no doubt she would be crushed.

I realized then who had gasped. Edward stood on the other side of the car, eyes locked on the unfolding tragedy. Abject horror twisted his fine features, I was startled by its strength. His lips moved unconsciously; two short words said so quickly and quietly that I couldn't make them out. A vision abruptly flashed in my mind as quick as a blink. He is going to save her and possibly expose us all.

"No, Edward!"

I lunged forward over the hood to grab the collar of his coat, but he had read my intentions as soon as I had them. The others were in no position to do anything but gawk as Edward crossed the four-car distance between the girl and us in a half-second. Emmett's mouth hung open in shock; Rosalie's eyes were like saucers; her mouth a perfect "o." Jasper's hand rested on the open trunk, his face a mask of disbelief. I know the children surrounding us hadn't even noticed he moved, but they would when the wreckage was cleared.

He hit her head on, knocking her to the ground with considerable force. I could no longer see the two of them, but I saw the trajectory of the van shift as he prevented it from hitting them both. The van's frame uttered a metallic scream of protest as it rocked onto two wheels for a split second, and then dropped to the ground. As I watched, the long window in the side door shattered, pieces of glass like ice fell to the ground. I'd seen enough here. I closed my eyes and looked inward, willing a vision that would show me an outcome to this sudden madness. I felt Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett move to surround me as the screaming and running started.

"What did he just do, Alice?" Rosalie's voice was incredulous but held an edge of fury. It matched the looks on Jasper and Emmett's faces.

"He just saved Bella Swan from fate." I replied, my voice tight as I tried to focus.

Emmett's dubious voice cut into my thoughts. "Isn't that the same girl he almost killed?"

"I'm trying to think here!" My exasperation was evident and Jasper placed his hand lightly on my back. Nothing. I could see nothing. I opened my eyes and smacked both hands on the hood in frustration. The entire student body had moved to unintentionally form a large, loose circle around the crash. I could hear shouting and crying as I watched as faculty streamed from the building to help.

"Don't move!"

"Someone get Tyler from the van!"

Finally a flash in my mind pulled me away from the bedlam. She is suspicious of him, she saw us by the car before Edward hit her. She's decided to question him. _Oh Edward, what are you going to do now?_ Sirens added to the cacophony swirling around my siblings and me.

"What should we do?" Jasper whispered softly in my ear. Rose and Emmett looked at me expectantly and again I didn't have solutions to the problems that arose with each passing minute.

"She's decided to question Edward about his involvement. She saw him standing here with us before the accident…"

Rosalie hissed in anger; both Emmett and Jasper growled.

"This needs to be taken care of now." Jasper's words were harsh. I looked up at him in surprise. "Alice, you know the rules. The Volturi consider suspicion and actual knowledge the same thing. Believe me, you don't want them to come here."

"She's an innocent Jasper. I don't think we need to be rash…"

The EMTs had arrived and our attention was back on the accident. Edward stood and shook his head when they questioned him about treatment. He motioned to the girl and then turned to look at us. I can only imagine what the others were thinking as I watched his jaw tense and his eyes grow hard. _I can only trust you, brother, trust that you know what you are doing. She will not drop her suspicions, be ready for her at the hospital. Someone will phone Carlisle to warn him you're coming in._ His eyes softened minutely as he gazed into mine. Worry filled me as he walked to the ambulance and climbed into the back. I felt Jasper's hand slip around my waist and tighten on my hip as he felt my concern. The fury, disapproval, and worry emanating from the three of us had to be overwhelming. I turned to Emmett and asked him to warn Carlisle. He nodded and pulled out his phone.

I turned my attention back to the wreck. The EMTs had raised the gurney where the Swan girl lay strapped, her small frame dwarfed further by a cumbersome neck brace.

"Alice." Rosalie's beautiful voice was laced with anger. I ignored her, trying to make out what was being said at the scene.

Chief Swan arrived, and when he realized that it was his daughter on the stretcher he called to her in concern. She insisted she was fine, and he turned to talk to the EMT closest to him to confirm.

"Alice! What is that girl thinking of doing?" Rosalie demanded, this time her voice was flooded with annoyance and edged with panic.

I could barely contain myself as I answered her through clenched teeth. "Rose, I'm not the one who reads minds. I'm trying to figure that out myself."

I realized I didn't need to be a mind reader to see the thoughts running through the girl's head. The emotions running across her face as she tried to piece together what had happened were as easy to read as a book. She looked in our direction as they wheeled her to the ambulance and was apparently surprised by what she saw. The expression on her face shifted from doubt to confusion, but the hint of suspicion didn't change.

The others noticed it as well. Jasper cursed under his breath and stalked toward the building. Emmett shook his head in disgust and shock, grabbed a fuming Rosalie by the hand, and trudged off to first period. I was left standing by the Volvo when the dreaded scene came to me again. This time Bella Swan was as pale as pure white snow, her face hauntingly beautiful and peaceful. One delicate arm lay at an angle across her chest, her hand sat lightly on her neck. Her other arm rested bent, raised up above her head. Her hair moved and shifted subtly like coffee spilt on a white tablecloth. This vision was more vivid, and lasting. Part of my mind marveled at the intensity of the scene, and I heard myself gasp as corpse Bella opened her ruby-red eyes and smiled.

Shock dropped me to my knees, and I rested my forehead against the car for support. Thoughts and questions whirled in my head, I clasped my hands to my temples in an attempt to slow the dervish. I wanted Jasper here for his calming presence. _Oh Edward, what have you done?_ Would Carlisle have to change her because Edward attacked her on the way to the hospital? Has she figured out our secret and threatened to uncover us for what we are? Is her head injury so much worse than previously thought? Why change her though, why not just let her die…

It came to me then, a thought so sure and strong that it could have been another premonition instead of woman's intuition. He was in love with her. There could be no other reason for her change. Carlisle wouldn't take on another for novelty. Emmett had been the last to be turned, and that was only at Rosalie's request. Edward's behavior for the past week finally made sense. He couldn't help but talk to her, despite his promise. The desire he had to thwart the unintentional fate his attentions had caused her. Images of her lifeless body had sent him into a tension-filled brood, although he had seen death before. He'd risked exposure to save her from a gruesome and painful death. It was love, but did he know it?

Of course he didn't. He didn't know what love was. He only knew what love looked like from the outside. His mind worked only to analyze and rationalize. Love was neither of those things. My poor confounded brother.

My mind reeled with the implications. The obvious obstacles that stood between them tempered my excitement and joy for Edward. How was Carlisle going to pull this off in a town as tiny as Forks? Clearly we would have to leave with newborn Bella to prevent any accidental deaths, but what about her father?

There was no way I could focus today in class. Thankfully at least half of the student body had followed the ambulance to the hospital. I had no doubt that any information presented today would be repeated tomorrow due to the amount of absences. As if I needed the repetition anyways. What I needed was to get word to Jasper, Rose, and Emmett that I was going home. I could think through a few things and talk with Esme uninterrupted.

I took a few deep breaths, fixed a look of extreme distress on my face, and hurried to the main office. This was a time that I wished for tears; I have no doubt I could have twisted anyone around my little finger with brimming eyes. My diminutive size did occasionally have its advantages. I was so tiny that most human adults had an instinctual urge to protect me that warred with their urge to flee. Edward was usually amused by their conflict when we were out. Hopefully Mrs. Cope will feel sorry for Edward Cullen's sad little sister, traumatized by this morning's events. I pushed open the heavy door to the office, and looked pitifully at the red-headed secretary.

"Alice Cullen! What's wrong sweetheart?" Concern flooded the receptionist's voice. She came from behind her desk to console me, but stopped short of actually touching me. I struggled not to smirk. Her thoughts had to have been priceless.

"I'm so worried about Edward." I channeled a giggle into a shuddering sob. "Can I please be excused to go home and talk to my mother?"

"Of course, honey! You should be with your family now. That was a very disturbing incident." She walked back behind her desk to type my excuse into the computer. "Are your brothers and sister wanting to go with you as well?"

"They felt well enough to stay today; they're in class right now." I sniffed then grabbed a tissue from the box on her desk to dab at imaginary tears. "Could you please send them a note telling them I went home? Also, this is the spare key to Edward's car. Could you give it to Jasper?"

"I'll send it down with a runner right now, dear. How are you going to get home?" Her eyes were sympathetic, the nurturing instinct overriding self-preservation.

"I'll phone my mom from outside. She'll come pick me up."

"Ok dear. Try to relax; I'm sure Edward is going to be fine. Tell your mother that if there's anything we need to get together for Edward to let me know."

I nodded and offered her a small smile, keeping my teeth mostly hidden. She moved to comfort me again, but instead offered me another tissue at the last moment. Poor woman, torn between sympathy and survival. It must have been a fascinating feeling.

I left the office with slumped shoulders and downcast eyes. I had no intention of calling Esme. She'd tell me to run home, and then drive to the hospital to see Carlisle and Edward before I had a chance to talk to her. At least that's what flashed in my mind earlier when I had initially decided to call her. I walked through the double doors into the crisp outdoor air, sadly shuffling my feet until I was out of eyeshot. Then I ran for home to talk this out to a truly sympathetic ear.


	15. Dissension

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Many thanks to her for allowing their use by others.**

**A/N: Many many thanks to Mbs Tnuccio for her amazing tolerance of my formatting changes and forgetting to use spell and grammar check before sending the document. Also for the amazing ability to know exactly what word I need when I, myself, do not. I'm so glad you're back!**

**Also thanks to Ava Sinclair for pointing out a few rough spots...and pointedly asking the questions: What Would Alice Do?...are you sure?**

**Finally for a little background on Alice's hobby read The Original by Mandi1. Her little one-shot was initially my inspiration for trying this story from Alice's POV. Reading it isn't necessary to understand this chapter, but it's an ah-hah thing. C.J. Rae used with permission.**

Dissension

Independent thoughts and unsought premonitions battled for my mind as I struggled to focus solely on running. _A moment's peace_, I thought to myself, _I just need a moment's peace._ The onslaught would occur the minute I relaxed, I was sure. I kept my eyes unnecessarily on the path and anticipated where each foot should fall. The snowy forest yawned; my refuge rose in the clearing as white and pure as the snow itself. My footsteps were light on the wooden stairs, but Esme was already waiting in the open doorway.

"Alice! What's wrong?" Worry creased Esme's perfect brow. Intuition flashed in her amber eyes and she sagged against the doorframe. "What did he do now?" I could see that she struggled to keep the edge of anguish from her voice. _Oh why was he doing this to us?_ I wailed internally_ It has to be love…any other reason and I will kill him myself._

"He prevented Bella Swan from being killed in a car accident in the school parking lot."

"That doesn't sound like- wait, did you say prevented? You're making it sound as if it was supposed to happen, Alice." Esme sounded shocked and disappointed.

"It's not that I wanted it to happen_,_ Esme…I –I need to talk to you please." I felt myself losing control over my mind and my emotions, so I rushed to complete my explanation.

Esme must have sensed my impending breakdown. "Goodness, Alice, lets sit down."

In the second it took to get to the couch, I wondered, bizarrely, if my human mother had been anything like Esme. Carlisle may have provided the threads, but it was Esme who wove us into this tapestry of a family. We sat, face to face, and she took my hands in hers. Her face was anxious, but I could tell she was trying to be patient to put me at ease. I took a deep breath, and attempted to fill her in as quickly as possible.

"He's not leaving again_;_ at least I haven't seen that he is." I knew what must have been plaguing her thoughts, especially after the first incident with Bella Swan.

I continued after some of the tension drained from her beautiful face. "I'm sorry Esme. I never intended to cause any additional discord in our family due to Bella Swan. It all started yesterday when Edward broke his promise to avoid contact with her. He said he only spoke to her to assure her that he was indeed civil."

Esme's somber face belied the sudden softness in her eyes hearing of Edward's chivalrous act. She was more concerned about his manners than his promise. I knew Edward and I would have an ally in her.

"From the moment that he decided to break his promise, I've had reoccurring premonitions of Bella Swan's death. Edward's intentional contact with her set the wheels of fate in motion. Even when he said he wouldn't speak to her again, she still kept showing up dead. Worst of all, he shrugged off my insistence that he doomed her. He then justified his actions by promising to protect her."

Esme gasped and looked horrified. I slowly shook my head, reliving the conversation with Edward.

"I promised that I'd try to help him, that I wouldn't tell the others what he had done. I couldn't handle the fighting again; Jasper has only just gotten over his irritation with my support of Edward's return to school. It was a bad decision, Esme, and I'm sorry. This is more my fault than Edward's, I should have told you or Carlisle."

"Alice, honey, I'm not looking to point the finger at anyone. I just want to know if the situation, as it is now, can be salvaged. What happened this morning?"

"She was going to be crushed between her truck and a runaway van. I didn't foresee the accident, but I did have a vision when Edward decided to save her. I tried to stop him, but he anticipated my grab. He did things that humans should notice, Esme. Thank goodness the humans in the parking lot didn't seem aware anything was amiss. Bella Swan on the other hand, was, and still is suspicious."

As the words tumbled from my mouth, the hospital flickered into my mind. Edward and Bella Swan are standing in a hallway, both frustrated. She is questioning him, and he is attempting to turn her observations into nonsense. Amazingly, she will agree to lie, only wanting to know why she must. The stubborn set to her jaw illustrates her continued suspicion. The scene jumps to the sunny-yellow kitchen and a prime opportunity to confide in her father. She will stick to her decision to tell no one what she thinks.

I became aware of Esme patting my leg and softly calling my name. I could feel my face contorted into a puzzled frown. _Why will she choose to tell no one?_ I looked at Esme's concerned expression and immediately began to explain what I had seen.

"She's confronting him, and he's denying everything. She has decided not to tell anyone what she thinks happened. It's such an unusual human reaction, I don't understand her motivation. It's almost like she's not a human. I do, however, think I understand his now."

Esme raised a delicate eyebrow.

"I think he cares for her, for Bella Swan." The eyebrow rose almost to her hairline. I continued, hurriedly, it was all starting to fall into place, "He was worried she thought him uncivil_…_he insisted on protecting her from a fate he believed he caused_…_he was distraught every time he saw my vision 0f her dead_. _But_, _she wouldn't have been the first dead person he's ever seench_…"_ I hesitated, and then decided I would wait until after I talked with Edward to tell Esme about seeing Bella and her newborn eyes.

Esme looked confused with my sudden change in mood as I hopped up from the couch. The shock of my realization made me want to be alone with my thoughts and Edward had decided to stop at home before going to school. "Esme, he's coming home. He'll be here in a few minutes. I'm going to go upstairs to sketch for awhile."

I needed to get away from both of them to calm my racing mind before he could hear it. I needed to draw, to bury myself in coats and hats, wool and silk. _What kind of power did this girl possess to make him hide from me? Why hadn't he confided in me his feelings for her? Why was I still thinking about this? _Some of Edward's obsessive over-thinking must be rubbing off on me.

I climbed the winding staircase two stairs at a time and traipsed down the hall into my sanctuary. The bed would be finished by tomorrow, and according to a recent vision, I would be receiving Emmett's apology silks this afternoon. Tucked away in the corner of the room was an antique drafting table, a gift from Jasper when I had decided to start my first designer line four years ago. I had always loved fashion, and had channeled most of my passion into appreciation and buying. Jasper and Edward had encouraged me to try my hand at creation. Jazz had bought me the table and high stool; Edward had trademarked a name made from initials of our family members and created a beautiful and unique logo. C.J. Rae had been an almost immediate success. It was the most fun I had experienced in ages. Prototypes were created; Rosalie and Edward had modeled for still shots, and the line was picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue, Barney's, and Bloomingdales. It became popular enough to be in Vogue by the time we'd moved to Forks, with knock-offs found in the little touristy towns nearby. I stopped designing a year after moving here; I was too busy to give the line the attention it needed. It was high time to start something new.

I settled onto the stool and threw all of my nervous energy into the graphite and paper. _Winter line…something appropriate for the dismal weather here. Overcoats…perfect._

I heard Edward greet Esme, then silence. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and down the hall, hesitating in front of my door. I slipped quickly from my perch and opened the door before he could knock, knowing already that he would. His forbidding eyes burned in his grim façade.

"Go on Alice, just say it."

I turned without a word and walked back to my table. _I don't want to say it Edward. I'm not getting an ounce of pleasure from this. Do you want to talk?_

"I was going to go back to school; I wasn't expecting you to be here. Are you staying?"

My eyes didn't move from the paper. _I can't go back today. I had to sob my concern about you to Mrs. Cope to get the old bat to excuse me. I'm sure her thoughts were fascinating._ My hand moved the stick of graphite smoothly across the paper and an overcoat appeared from the scattered lines. _New Zealand merino wool for the outer…_

"Alice, I'm not going if you aren't. I can't face the three of them alone." His shoulders drooped and he pressed his fingers to the bridge of this nose. "I don't even know if I want to be here tonight when they come home…"

"Yeah, they're pretty angry. Jasper didn't even kiss me goodbye before he went to class. Rest assured_, _I'm sure I'm in the doghouse with you." The overcoat grew oversized lapels and a wide belt under my pencil. I stopped the motion of my hand and rested my forehead lightly against my forearm. _Edward, I really want to talk to you, can we go to our rock?_

He walked up behind me and rested his hand on my shoulder. "I'll meet you there, Alice. I've got a few things to explain to Esme first." He gave my shoulder a little squeeze then was gone. I stared at the coat willing my thoughts to remain focused on the design. Surprise was my best weapon at getting an honest response from my brother, champion prevaricator. _Silk lining, double-breasted front…I'm going to need a new name, I can't bring C.J. back after two years. Edward, help me with a name please._

I dropped the pencil into the engraved groove at the bottom of the desk and slipped off the stool to land on my toes.I escaped into my cavernous closet to further divert my thoughts and ease my sudden nervousness at confronting Edward about his intentions with this human girl. _Something casual…jeans and sweater, cashmere of course…_ A vision pulled at the back of my mind and I ignored it, concentrating more on the bars of clothing in my closet. I occasionally regretted the inability to screen the vision before having it. I had no idea if Edward was listening or not, and I couldn't afford for him to see anything yet.

"Alice! You're beautiful enough, there's no need to change for a casual stroll through the snowy forest." His voice was filled with faux annoyance; I could almost see the small smile on his face as he said it. I smiled as I pulled my mind to Esme to see her immediate plans. I was rewarded with a single image of her sitting with Carlisle in his office at the hospital. I was afraid to lower my controls and look harder; I didn't want anything unwanted to creep in.

"Alice Cullen! I'll come up there and get you myself. She already left for the hospital, quit being nosey!"

Smiling, I skipped down the stairs. As my feet hit the bottom step I brazenly called out a challenge. _I'll race you there. If I win you have to promise to answer all of my questions!_ As I leapt the porch stairs I heard the back door slam. I had enough of a head start that I knew I would win. I didn't even need to look ahead to know. The biting wind whistled in my ears as "our" rock loomed into my line of sight. Edward's footfalls pounded just slightly behind me; I could feel him pushing to get close enough to grab the back of my sweater. _Almost there…_

"Beat you!" I jumped to land on top of the rock and laughed as he crashed against it, shards of rock flying into the surrounding forest. "So you have to answer me honestly Edward Anthony Cullen." I gleefully bounced around on my perch, hoping he would actually acquiesce.

He leaned his stomach against the rock and rested his chin on his palms. Raised eyebrows and expectant eyes met my eager gaze. No holding back, there was no making this easier for him. I was tired of tiptoeing around Edward for fear of sending him into a full-blown brood. _I want to know why._

I refused to lower my eyes from his angry glare; I would not look away first. _Be honest, no quibbling. Leave nothing out._ He sighed and the anger faded from his golden eyes.

"I don't know why Alice." I pursed my lips in disbelief. "I just know that I would have felt guilty if she would have died. It's my fault that she's in danger now, and my responsibility to keep her safe." It sounded as if he was trying to convince both of us that responsibility was his motivation.

My eyebrow rose of its own accord._ Right..._ _What did you say before you ran to her?_

He looked at me, puzzled. I could see him running through all the events in his mind trying to figure out what I was asking.

I held his gaze and pulled the memory into my mind. _I was standing on the other side of the car. You looked horrified and you whispered something. It was short, quiet, and quick so I didn't hear you._ As I explained I recalled his lips swiftly muttering those two short words. "_Not here", maybe? That's kind of what it looked like, _made sense to me. If she had been anywhere less conspicuous I would have saved her myself.

I saw recognition change to guilt in his eyes before he broke eye contact and looked out over my head to the frigid river. He hesitated, and I knew he was going to try to avoid the question. _Answer it, boyo. I have committed to stick by you Edward; I, at the very least, deserve your honesty._ He nodded, but continued to gaze at where the overcast sky met the sluggish water.

"Not her." He murmured, eyes far away, and again I almost missed it.

"**Not her?! **Oh Edward…I'm only going to ask you one more question, and you don't have to answer it, actually I'd _prefer_ if you don't answer it_, _at least not right now." I took a deep breath, "Are you in love with Bella Swan?"

He jumped as if I'd bitten him and his eyes flew to mine. He backed away from the rock, arms up and palms out shaking his head frantically. "Preposterous! Alice, how can you even say that? She's human, I fight the urge to kill her every moment I'm near her, I've destined her to an early death…Is that how one treats the one they love…"

"Enough! I said I didn't want your answer now." I cut him off before his emotional state could escalate further. "I just thought I would give you something else to brood about. Now I'll believe you justified to mope." I finished with a smirk, and neatly dodged a foreseen grab at my arm. My words and tone had the desired effect. It may have sounded like a joke, but I had given him something to think about.

We continued to talk for the rest of the morning through to the afternoon, working initials in to various arrangements trying to come up with a new name for my new company. It was like old times; Edward was lighthearted and joking throwing out hideous letter combinations and words. Before we could think of anything that I actually wanted to use, the approaching Volvo appeared in my mind. The stony faces of the three passengers brought on another vision, this one more sobering than the last. A fight, the worst we've had, is on the horizon. The future of our family is cloudy at best. There were too many missing decisions for me to see the outcome.

"I'm behind you Edward. I know about the confrontation in the hospital with Bella, and I've seen she won't discuss her suspicions with anyone."

He frowned and turned to walk back to the house. I slipped from my perch on the rock and skipped to catch up. He was back to pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It will all work out ok."

"You can't say that Alice. I just saw that vision too, there is no happy ending. They'll cast me out. Oh I know, Esme would protest, but she would be outnumbered. Rosalie was ready to disown me today in the parking lot."

I took his hand and pulled him to a stop. "I told you, I'm behind you Edward. No one is going to make you leave. We aren't a family without you."

He pulled his hand from mine and placed them gently on my shoulders. "Lets be honest little sister." His small smile was heartrending and his golden eyes were distressed. "When the lines are drawn you'll be in a rough place. I know you will support me as long as you can, but what if you have to make a choice?"

I closed my eyes and bowed my head. I didn't trust myself to speak. _It wouldn't come to that. Jasper would never make me choose. Are you saying you would?_

"Never." His voice was rough and his hands tightened on my shoulders. "You, Carlisle, and Esme are all I have. I don't want any of you to ever have to choose me over someone else you love."

My lips curved into a sad smile. _Edward, eventually you are going to be in a situation where you will make people choose. They may not be happy with you for it, but it will be necessary. Just make sure it's worth it._

His hands squeezed once more before dropping to his sides. He nodded belatedly to my internal comments and reflected my sad smile with one of his own. We turned together and ran to the house. I could feel the apprehension and anger radiating from the house as we approached. _My poor Jasper, he must be in agony with the crushing waves of emotion rolling off of everyone._ Edward didn't acknowledge my thought; he must have been immersed in the coming altercation. The air around the house smelled like conflict. My nose wrinkled at the stink; it made my pure white refuge seem like a menacing ghost house. _Ready or not here we come…_

I threw my arm out to stop Edward as I hesitated on the porch. He waited patiently as I closed my eyes and focused on Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett. It would be easier to diffuse any violence before it actually happened.

The vision washed over me, vivid and loud. Emmett's ham-sized hands grab Edward as we open the door and pin him to the wall. Rosalie's ebony eyes flash fire as she shouts accusations and ultimatums. Most heartbreaking for me is Jasper's vehement silence; he says nothing aloud, but the rage radiates from him feeding Rosalie and Emmett's anger. The thoughts he must be hurling at Edward would be much more painful than Emmett's physical intimidation. Esme and Carlisle are nowhere to be seen; they must not be back from the hospital yet. I can see the Mercedes flying down the secluded road about 5 miles from the house.

When awareness of the present returned, I found myself crouched on the wooden stoop. Edward's hand rested lightly on the back of my neck as he knelt next to me.

"We're going to have to reevaluate the situation I think." He said grimly.

I nodded soundlessly as I tried to bring myself back to now. _I'll go in first and talk to them. Carlisle and Esme should be here in a couple of minutes. Come in with them._ He nodded and slipped noiselessly from the porch and melted into the woods. I took a deep breath and uttered a warning.

"Emmett, I am coming in there. I saw what you were going to do. Do not touch me, understand?"

"Our fight isn't with you, Alice…although Rosalie believes you had a hand in today's events." I heard Jasper growl and I imagined Emmett backing from the door hands up in mock surrender.

"What Rosalie believes and what is the truth are usually two different things. I'm coming in to talk about said events."

I crossed the threshold and walked past Emmett's raised hands and a hostile Rosalie to Jasper, stooped on one knee against the far wall. I put my hands on either side of his face and kissed him lightly.

"Jasper," I murmured softly, "He is your brother…He is our brother. This type of ambush is disrespect personified. I'm so disappointed."

His posture stiffened at my words, but he left his face in my hands and closed his eyes. I raised my hand to push his golden hair from his eyes, tracing a scar that curved from the corner of his eye to his temple. Muscle by muscle, he relaxed under my light touch, an impressive feat considering the wrath that Rosalie projected into the room. He trembled with the effort to remain calm in this room of rage. I leaned forward and brushed his trembling lips with my own.

"I love you Jazz, thank you." I whispered our daily invocation, which had been lost this morning in the chaos and discontent. It was a bit of a low blow to remind him now of how much I appreciated his commitment and self-sacrifice.

"For you, my Alice….anything." The minute hesitation was heartbreaking. I could feel how torn he was by the words, how his promise both liberated and trapped him. Then the tension was back and no amount of tenderness on my part took it away.

I trailed my fingers down Jasper's arm as I stepped into the center of the room. _Here we go Edward. Carlisle and Esme will be here in two minutes. See you in a few._

"I'm here now to ask the three of you: What were you thinking?!" I looked Emmett right in the eye, and he dropped his gaze, chagrined. "Edward is our brother. We are not nomads. We are not wild ones or newborns who kill our own. We are a family."

I turned into Rosalie's wrathful glare. "Don't you remember what it means to be family?" I looked pointedly at her until she dropped her eyes from mine. "This is the only family I've ever known and that alone was enough to make me realize I should listen to Edward before I curse him. I don't have human memories to guide me, yet, in this moment, I am more human than you who do."

I could hear Esme, Carlisle, and Edward as they approached the house. The tension had dissipated somewhat. Shame could be a useful tool. I hoped, now, that we could start a civil discussion. Emmett had moved to Rosalie's side. He looked somewhat ashamed, but Rosalie's eyes still burned despite my little speech. Jasper hadn't moved, so I walked over to lean against him. His arm slid around my waist and I relaxed with a sigh.

The door opened and Carlisle entered the room first, followed by Esme then Edward. Carlisle's eyebrows rose in surprise at the silent gathering and tense atmosphere. Edward must not have told him what I had seen. _Always protecting someone, aren't you? _ I closed my eyes and relaxed further as I slid down the wall to sit with my chin on my bent knees, hand in Jasper's hand.

Bella appeared before I could stop the vision. She was so beautiful. This time a small smile curved her full lips, her eyes circled with familiar purple smudges. One hand lay peacefully between her breasts, the other clasped by long, piano-players fingers. Her eyelids fluttered open and the shocking ruby irises seem to stare into my soul. I was jerked from the vision by Edward's guttural shout.

"NO!"


	16. Despair

**Disclaimer: Nothing in the Twilight universe belongs to me. No copywrite infringement is intended. **

**French quote from ****Les ****Mouches**** by J.P. Sartre.**

**Last two translated quotes from A. Camus.**

**A/N:**

**So much thanks to my 'holy crap, let me fix this mess' beta Tnuccio. You've really got smoothing my stilted style down to a science. I'm amazed that you always know exactly what I want to say when I can't think of how to say it!**

**Also merci mille fois to WWAD Ava Sinclair for keeping me true to my vision for Alice, and for helping me over some serious insecurities in this long awaited chapter.**

Despair

"NO NO NO NO." Edward chanted, as if he repeated it enough it would come true.

The silence was so thick it was stifling, but it only lasted an instant. Jasper's hand tightened convulsively on mine as Edward's sudden influx of emotions crashed into him. My eyes flicked vampire-fast to each member of my beloved family as I tried to read their emotional-state. In the heartbeat of silence, it was obvious that the argument we'd had before Edward came in the house was only the first circle of hell.

Although the shock of Edward's outburst had dampened them, the flames of rage had never left Rosalie's eyes. With her teeth bared, lip pulled back in a snarl, it was only Emmett's grip that held her to the couch. Ok, Rosalie livid…check.

Emmett was as easy to read as Rose. He was torn between holding Rosalie to the seat, and grabbing Edward by his collar and shaking him like a terrier would shake a rat. His eyes darted from the blond anger-generator to the bronze angst-machine. Emmett irritated…check.

_Oh my poor Jasper_. I glanced at him quickly; his eyes were shut against the deluge of feelings and his body shuddered violently. Obviously he wanted Edward to feel his pain, because he did nothing to diffuse the situation. Jasper vindictive…check.

Carlisle and Esme looked slightly dazed; their eyes mirrored mine as they flashed from face to face. Carlisle analyzed postures and positions in an effort to determine what defense, if any, was needed. Esme recovered from the initial surprise and her face was stormy with disappointment. Carlisle and Esme upset…check.

Edward just looked agonized; his pleading eyes never left my face. He hadn't moved more than two steps into the room, frozen in place by Bella's ruby gaze. I wanted to roll my eyes, but the atmosphere didn't lend itself to eye rolling. I sighed instead. Angst-boy distressed…check.

Then the instant was over and the room descended into chaos.

"What were you thinking, you fool? Do you think you know everything just because you can hear what-"

"You've really done it this time Edward. I should just let Rosalie go, but then there'd be nothing left of you for me. Give me one-"

"What is going on here? Edward you didn't tell us that-"

"I cannot believe how you- how my _children,_ have disappointed me with this display of-"

I felt the tension strengthen and swell. Jasper's silent but effective contribution to the dissonant voices pushed me over the edge. Although everyone except for Esme had addressed him, Edward's eyes never left mine. His gaze had almost become physically painful.

"Stop it!" I tore my eyes from Edwards's, jumped up, and shoved Jasper's hand to his chest. "And you…you of all of them, how can you do this? You are hurting Edward, which I'm sure is your intention, but you're hurting me too, Jazz." My anger dissipated into sorrow, and my voice lowered to a whisper, "And neither is ok."

The next blink of silence was promising, but hell hath no fury like a Rosalie interrupted. I was sure that in spite of her apology in school yesterday, she's been itching to call me out on something. She turned her searing stare on me.

"Why are you always standing up for him, Alice? He's put us in danger. When I say us, I mean the whole-" Her tone became condescending, "-_family._ Are you looking for the end of your existence, because I sure-as-hell am not." Her burning gaze was like a finger jabbing my chest with every word.

"Alice." Jasper's voice cut straight to my heart as he cut off Rosalie's verbal assault. "You don't know what the Volturi are capable of. They can and have destroyed whole covens to preserve the secret of our existence. Edward is risking our lives with his little game. I will not forgive him for involving you so deeply." His voice finished in a growl directed at the object of his anger.

Emmett stepped forward slightly, but his meaty hand remained firm on Rosalie's shoulder. He left his eyes on Edward but the question was unmistakably for Jasper. "What do you mean, whole covens? We had nothing to do with this. None of us knew what…" His head whipped around and his eyes locked with mine.

"You knew," he accused. "You knew he was going to save her yet you did nothing to prevent this disaster." The accusation ended in a snarl.

The situation continued to spiral out of control. We were on the brink of something so mind-boggling, I wouldn't have believed it if I had foreseen it. Rosalie was coiled to spring at Edward the instant Emmett dropped his hand to charge me. Jasper's aggressive growls alternated between Edward and Emmett. He had put himself between me and the other two. Edward hadn't moved an inch, hadn't acknowledged anyone's presence in the room. He still stared at me, his eyes bleak and beseeching. _What's with you? Defend yourself._ He barely shook his head.

"Jasper, I would ask you to please help me out here." Carlisle's calm voice filled the room as he walked to Edward and pushed him towards the piano bench. "We will discuss this like the civilized, intellectual people we are."

The hostility did not let up. Jasper's hands tightened into fists by his sides. I stepped forward to take his hand and try to convince him that discussion was the path we needed to take, but Esme beat me there. Her teeth were clenched, fighting against the rolling fervor Jasper was churning out. Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder as she leaned close to whisper something in his ear. He turned to her in surprise and she smiled ruefully. The pressure melted; I could suddenly relax. The breath flew from my lungs with a whoosh; I hadn't even realized I'd been holding it. A quick vision popped in my head, and I relaxed further: We are still together in the morning, even after all the arguing that I see is to come.

The rest of the room unwound little by little. All previous emotions were there, just muffled by Jasper compliance with Esme's whispered request. Rosalie's anger smoldered under a blanket of calm, and the aggressive light in Emmett's caramel eyes was only slightly dimmed. Jasper reached back for my hand, never taking his eyes from Emmett, and led me to the piano. Esme followed with Rose and Emmett in tow.

We arranged ourselves on the platform and settled in for what, I was sure, would be a heated "discussion." I gently closed the lid to the piano then climbed up to perch with my arms wrapped around my legs, chin on my raised knees. Jasper leaned against the gentle curve of the instrument and rested his arm around my hunched shoulders. _We are all still together tomorrow; we are all still together tomorrow._ Edward turned to me once again, the strange begging light still in his eyes. _Time for twenty questions._ I sighed and Jasper tightened his arm.

_Do you want me to stay quiet about what I saw?_

His head barely moved, but the movement was obviously affirmative.

_Are you going to be honest with me about why?_

He hesitated, _Edward…_ His eyes closed in resignation.

_You realize that if I have to lie to Jasper again for you, you owe me 15 years of your existence as "Super Shopping Companion?"_

Agony flickered fleetingly across his face, but he set his jaw and nodded.

"More secrets?" Rosalie spat after seeing Edward nod at me, "I told you she had a hand in this."

I felt as Jasper tensed at my side. I shook my head slightly and leaned against his body, resting my head near the crux of his shoulder. Carlisle gave Rosalie a warning stare and proceeded to start talking.

Everyone had their turn to express their fears and concerns. Edward explained how by breaking his original promise he had changed Bella's fate and her new destiny was untimely death. Since he was the catalyst of this change, he felt driven by self-appointed responsibility to keep her alive. There was an angry rumble as he mentioned he had questioned her in class, but it stayed a rumble. The relatively calm conversation was punctuated by a few outbursts and mild threats. The moon glowed high in the purple velvet sky when, inevitably, Carlisle turned to me.

"What have you seen Alice?"

Before I could begin, Rosalie hissed something about co-conspirator, which in turn had Jasper and Emmett at each other's throats. I cleared my throat and Jasper stiffly returned to my side.

"Let me fight my battles, Jasper. I know better than to let Rosalie get under my skin." I leaned back against him again and continued.

"And Rose, contrary to your belief, I did try to stop him. I'm sure you realized that when you popped out the dent I left on the Volvo's hood."

She harrumphed and resumed staring indifferently at her perfect oval nails.

"I've seen that the Swa –_Bella_ is suspicious of Edward. She knows he wasn't by her car, but she can't logically explain what she thought happened. Now, she's decided she won't tell any of it to anyone…even her father."

Carlisle nodded slowly and turned to face all of us.

"How are we going to handle this?"

"We should kill her." The voice was flat, its tone practical. I would not have recognized it if it didn't come from directly over my shoulder. "She knows too much and we can't trust her."

"NO!"

For the second time tonight Edward shouted, but this time he also lunged for Jasper. Emmett had managed to grab his arm and sling him back against wall before Jasper was tackled to the piano. Emmett then stepped forward to stand beside Jasper, one thumb looped in a beltloop the other reaching. Rosalie smirked, unfolded her impossibly long legs, and moved under Emmett's outstretched arm. _Oh no, not lines. _

Edward sat crumpled at the base of the wall. He wasn't physically hurt, I was sure, but the emotional anguish must have been too much. Carlisle moved to his side and crouched to make eye contact. Edward nodded morosely, and then rested his arms on his knees. His hands and head hung limp, his posture and spirit broken. My silent heart twisted at what I was about to do. I hoped Jasper would hear my plea in his heart because I knew he wouldn't be able to pull it from my mind. _Please love me still, Jazz. Our family will only be whole if she lives. _ I turned to Jasper and poured all of the love I'd ever felt for him into the kiss I brushed across his lips. _I love you;_ _I hope you understand._

Our eyes met, and shock at my betrayal flashed across his face as he realized my decision. I slipped from the piano and walked over to Edward's hunched form. Esme remained between the two groups, trying in vain to prevent us from unraveling. Her eyes were black pools, pleading first with Jasper, then with Carlisle for an end to this unanticipated madness. The lines were drawn; let it begin.

"You were right, Alice." Edward whispered, head hanging, his words falling like tears to the hardwood floor. "I have marked her for death. If it isn't by some freak accident, it will be by the hand of a member of my own family. We are unnatural, an abomination…I shouldn't exist."

"That is enough Edward. We are through talking for now." Carlisle's voice was firm. It was obvious that he was speaking to everyone in the room. "I suggest we each take some time to ourselves to think about this situation. We have not acted like the family I know we are. I think we need to start making conscious rational decisions instead of the emotional ultimatums that we seem to have resorted to. We are better than what we have shown here today, we need to start acting like it."

He cleared his throat and thought for a moment before continuing. "I do have this to say, however. No one living under my roof will _ever_ premeditate death for an innocent. If any of you choose to take this girl's life, do not return here. You will no longer be called son or daughter, sister or brother. You will no longer exist as my family."

I could hear authority ringing in Carlisle's usually mild voice, and the pain and hope that he wouldn't have to make true on his command flared in his hardened eyes. The room was a vacuum, no drawing of breath, no rushing blood, no beating hearts. _Exist, not live._ The words echoed in my mind. _The only life I know isn't even life. They all have their memories to make them more human. I have nothing. What does that make me? _ The room was quiet as death, and for the first time I was horrified by what I was. I was a mockery of life; a blasphemy who finally understood Edward's brooding silences and self-loathing. My gasp crashed through the stillness like shattering crystal and in a flash they both stood at my side. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, waiting for the worst.

"No, Alice! Listen, it's not like that at all-" Edward immediately tried to stop my swift descent into numbness and reassure the whole family at the same time. He turned to face Esme. "She didn't see anything concerning our safety. Apparently my mood is contagious; perhaps I've acquired a bit of Jasper's gift." His attempt at lightheartedness fell flat. His worried eyes jumped back to my face.

Jasper knelt in front of me, and placed his palm on my cheek, thumb lightly caressing my cheekbone. I felt the visions churning, vying for position at the edge of my consciousness. For the first time, the desire to know fought with the fear of actually seeing. I needed a distraction, a focus that would keep me here with Jasper. I looked into his eyes, searching for a reason to continue this parody. I saw a lost little girl, shocked by unfamiliar uncertainty and teetering on the brink of devastation, _who is that?_ I retreated from her empty eyes and closed my own, surrendering to the swarm.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

"Lis…Alice, darlin', come back to me." His honeyed voice whispered in my ear. I felt his long fingers trace gently through my hair, soothing and relaxing. I stiffened, remembering where I was and what was happening. _Wait, what did happen!?_ The calming hand stilled, and a well-muscled arm tightened around my waist holding me firmly in his lap.

"You scared us, wee one. You've never been gone this long before…" He was obviously prompting me to speak, but I couldn't remember what had happened much less what I'd seen.

"What happened?" I raised my face to look into his eyes. I felt ethereal, any second and his calm breath would blow me into a thousand little pieces. "Why are we in Edward's room?"

He smiled; obviously relieved I had not lost my mind. "Our bed isn't finished yet, and I thought you needed to lay down. Edward left with Esme for a quick hunt before school. He went all Caligula on us when you went down." Jasper smirked and continued, "For an anti-existentialist he sure knows a lot of that play."

I shrugged and rolled my eyes and he went on.

"Carlisle thought it best if he got out for awhile. Whatever you were seeing was really upsetting him." He shifted slightly, pulling me closer into his protective embrace.

Bits and pieces of what I'd seen were coming back to me. A room was ensanguined; there was evidence of a violent struggle. Her voice had fluctuated wildly between pleading murmurs and bloodcurdling shrieks, then a silence more frightening than her screams. I had heard the wet snap of bones breaking; her heart slowing, stuttering. I'd seen Edward's mouth on her wrist, agony and fear in his eyes… I shook my head to clear it. Our house was serene; the only noise I could hear was Rosalie and Emmett as they got ready for school.

"How long was I gone?" Maybe I had been lucky. Perhaps the entire day had been a freakish vision. The belligerent atmosphere and tension in the air was totally gone, almost as if it had never happened. I struggled to sit up, pushing myself out of Jasper's lap and onto the couch next to him.

"About fifteen minutes. You scared me…hell, you scared us all, Alice. You've never done that even in all the time you and I have been together. You practically convulsed with the strength of the vision. Edward was writhing in agony with you, but he refused to tell us what happened. He just held your hand and kept repeating that we weren't in danger." His lips brushed my forehead and I felt my hands unclench, and my eyebrows retreat from their bunched formation. Although I wished otherwise, I knew it was more than just his kiss that lifted the weight from my shoulders.

"He wouldn't leave you until I threatened him and even then he had to be physically removed. You sure are something, wee one. You hit the ground and all the fight went out of everyone. Rosalie and Emmett helped drag Edward outside so he would go with Esme. We're still not happy with what Edward did, but when you fell, I think we understood that everything had been taken too far. I'm so sorry, love." His eyes were mournful, and the apology was heartfelt. I tucked my head into the crook of his arm and snuggled into his embrace.

"Jasper, until right before I lost it I've always been confident that we have a place in the world. I've always thought Edward's brooding silences were attention-seeking. Then suddenly I understood…and I don't want to understand anymore. He bears too much of what he can't control."

When I looked back, Jasper's eyes were far away, gazing out the southern glass wall. The deep purple was fading from the velvet sky, lightening to lavender softened by clouds. "La vie humaine commence de l'autre côté de désespoir." He murmured to himself. God, his accent was like nails on a chalkboard, but the words were the piece I was missing. What _should_ be Edward's mantra had just tumbled from my husband's lips. So strange that the two of them weren't closer as brothers, they had so much in common.

"I'm going to tell you something but you can't tell anyone else. Edward will know, naturally, but promise on our love that you won't repeat anything I tell you."

The distance disappeared from his eyes, as he turned to me, curious. "I promise, Alice, on my love for you that I won't tell a soul."

"He loves her, Jazz. That's why he can't stay away from her. He won't admit it though. He's hiding behind his irrational claim of responsibility. I had been seeing her dead, of course, like I told everyone, -but now I'm seeing her changed." I let my thoughts go where they wished as I mused aloud, "I was seeing her changed when he freaked out; he doesn't want her to be one of us. I didn't understand until that one moment." I sighed at the bubble of desolation caused by the memory.

His eyes were bewildered and his jaw tight as he fought back what I was sure was a barrage of questions and concerns. I could feel my mouth bow downward as the biggest question loomed. _In love with a human?_

"Shame on you Jasper Whitlock, love knows no bounds."

"It's not the love that I'm concerned about, it's the ramifications of said love."

"He needs this…needs her. We wouldn't be complete without each other, Jazz, and I know it will be the same with them." The scowl deepened as I tried to find a way to make him understand. "I need to talk to him."

Jasper tipped my face to his and captured my frowning lips in a lingering kiss. "And so you will. They didn't go far and I'm sure he's listening for you."

He was so calm now, so accepting of my stance, and explanation. All residues from my disloyalty had disappeared from his eyes.

"Why are you doing this, Jasper? Is this some kind of test? I'm not going to choose between the two of you; I love you both too much. It would tear me apart." My growing suspicions were interlaced with guilt for their existence.

"I know it would. I'm ashamed of my behavior before, Alice. I can't lose you; I _won't_ lose you. I couldn't go on without you by my side." His lips murmured against my temple and my eyes closed in bliss at the love that filled the room. "He has put you in danger, and to me, that is unforgivable. Unless, of course, he is willing to take the proper action to ensure your safety. I know he loves you as much as I do, even if it is in a different way. I have to trust that he will take the appropriate steps to guarantee we will be secure."

"Why the initial agreeability though? Before the fight turned real ugly, one little comment from Esme and you're happily playing Prozac for the entire room."

"She asked the right question. It's something that I need to remind myself when I'm feeling a bit out of control. It works every time."

I leaned away and arched an eyebrow. "What did she ask you?"

"Do you trust your wife?" He said simply, his eyes glowed with reverence. "And I do…implicitly."

I couldn't stop the tug at the corners of my mouth, and I pulled his head to mine so he could taste the smile instead of the frown. His hands moved to gently frame my face and he deepened the kiss. I wanted to lose myself with him, to stop time at this moment of bliss. There was pressing business to attend to, however, and I broke the kiss with regret. His tawny eyes were soft, but the spark of desire was there. He sucked his lower lip into his mouth.

"Delicious."

The motion sent shivers down my spine. We had enough time. School wouldn't start for another two hours. I closed my eyes and leaned in again, wanting to capture that lip for myself. The kiss was soft and beautiful, but not what I was expecting. When I met his eyes, they were shining with mischief. I drew my lips into the most devastated pout I could manage. He chuckled.

"You need to talk to our brother. No one understands him like you do, and he needs that now. Today will be damage control; I'm going to go get ready for school. I'll meet you in the car." He winked and I realized my 'only-works-on-Jasper face', no longer worked on Jasper. Damnation.

_EDWARD, ROCK, NOW! _Time to throw a little Sartre at the boy. I think Jasper knew I needed the quote as much as Edward did. I skipped down the two flights of stairs, out the door and straight to our much-abused meeting place. Old gloom and doom was already balanced in my spot. His eyes jumped to life when he saw me.

"I'm sorry Alice, they made me leave. Jasper was going to tear my head off if I didn't go, but I couldn't just run off with you submerged in that hell. They didn't understand…I just couldn't-"

"Shhhh. Edward, it's ok. I'm better now, some. I don't blame you, or any of them. I just need us to be together, everyone. Jasper and I talked. He trusts me and my judgment of the situation." _And we're all still together today_. _This family is all I have, Edward. All of you have your human memories. I only have the future and sometimes it's lonely there._

He slid down from his perch on the boulder and landed nimbly beside me. His arm slipped around my shoulders and I leaned back and closed my eyes to absorb the comfort he gave. _You don't have to explain anymore Edward. I understand now, why her change frightens you._ He started to talk but I held my hand up to silence him. _I understand, but I don't agree. Jasper is right; life does start on the other side of despair. You've agonized long enough, brother; it's time to live._

He shook his head. "We don't live, Alice, we exist. You said so yourself. I'm not taking her life just because we can find some existentialist drivel to rationalize your visions. I don't care which great philosopher you or Jasper, or even Carlisle for that matter, find to justify her becoming one of us. It's not going to happen." His jaw was set and his lips were drawn in a stubborn line. His arm was still around my shoulders though, so I wrapped an arm around his waist and hugged him.

"The quote was for _you_, Edward. Live a little."

He sighed and stepped toward to house pulling me with him. "I hate Sartre you know, the pompous windbag. He's always been Jasper's muse, and suitably so. I'll take Camus over Sartre any day."

Before I could respond, a vision of the coming day jumped and skipped through my mind. The mindless little sheep would surround Bella with their well wishes and questions and repeatedly she would defer all concern to the "hero" of the accident. Not a mention of the strange circumstances surrounding her rescue. Not a suspicion on anyone's face. We were safe.

Edward continued to the car, but there was relief in his eyes. As we walked to meet the others in the garage I stopped and turned. "You know, you need to hear this. Rosalie should to hear it too, but she wouldn't appreciate it for what it is." _For if there is a sin against life, it consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life: as in hoping for another life and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life._

He rolled his eyes. "You want to play that game with me little sister? Go tell your existentialist husband to ponder this: Only a philosophy of eternity, in the world today, could justify non-violence." He hugged me briefly, and I knew the bravado was all for show.

I grinned and threw out one last taunt. _I do so think I would like a little sister. How about her instead of the moon?_ I ducked under his arm and ran up to the car leaving him grumbling.


	17. Amelioration

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I am merely borrowing them.**

**I am a huge fan of AngelRen here on FFN. Her story One Dozen Roses was an inspiration, and with permission, I referenced her story here. If you would like to read what exactly went on during the six weeks that Edward was trying to ignore Bella read her story! I took a little creative license and pretended that the Edward POV of the story didn't exist. Thank you Ren!**

**A/N**: I am truly sorry for the amount of time that it took for this chapter to be posted. I could tell all of you all the reason, but that doesn't make it ok. I have already started ch18 and I am hoping that I will not have so many disturbances this time around.

Many, many thanks go out to Ava Sinclair for her consistent support, incessant nagging, and vested interest in Alice's side of the story. I think this little fanfic would probably have been finished if not for her. Also thanks to all of you readers who continued to review and add this as an alert or a favorite. That little twinge of guilt each time I got a message in my inbox was a real motivator!

Thanks also to Tnuccio and new cyber-pal Smellyia. Your encouragement helped immensely!

Amelioration

Normalcy, well at least as much as a family of vampires gets, had finally settled its mundane self back around our lives. Only Emmett had immediately put the fight behind him; the rest of us had walked on eggshells around each other for a fortnight. Rosalie had lowered her hackles once Edward seemed to lose interest in Bella. I knew better though. He was as transparent as glass to me; I could see Bella's mere existence tormented him. Jasper could undoubtedly feel his self-denial and attempts at indifference, and I'm sure he sensed Edward's utter failure at both as well. It wouldn't be long until my brother slipped up and the whole family would be thrown into chaos again.

Jazz's own brooding silences had taken an Edwardian turn. After "The Discussion", he had been pushed into acceptance through fear. My epiphany and subsequent collapse had scared him into agreeing with anything that would keep me calm. As time put a blink of distance between now and then, he had become a bit less conciliatory. He often turned to me as we lie under twisted silver silk and stared wordlessly into my eyes to search for unspoken answers he knew I had. I'd been fighting to return to my pre traumatic-vision mentality but I know that I'd been wearing an aura of melancholy that only my husband could see. Jasper only thought I didn't understand the gravity of the situation. He'd explained at length the workings of the Volturi: how they policed the vampiric population without clemency. Worse though, he had stated, was that I had known and that damned me double. He couldn't understand why I didn't just refuse Edward my help as any incriminating premonition arose. To be honest, I wasn't sure why I didn't refuse him either. Edward's obsession had brought out a part of me that I hadn't known existed.

No, it wasn't that I didn't grasp the serious threat that was the Volturi. It was this emptiness I'd discovered, a void that was driving me now, left unfilled by Jasper and Edward, by the rest of my family. Something was missing, something that seemed to be almost part of my subconscious. It was only after talking to Edward about what I wanted from him that It all clicked. A startling revelation when it leapt from my thoughts, Jasper knew nothing of my joking sibling request to Edward. I had contemplated telling him, but when I looked ahead, I'd seen his face smeared with incredulity. Worse, the taint of distrust - it was enough to justify my silence. Double-damned was now a double entendre, first by the Volturi and second by the love of my life. I couldn't help my longing though. Once I had seen her with him, their hands entwined, she became my sister. She was _mine _as well as his; he couldn't deny me her company forever. I argued with Edward about her often, but always out of earshot of the rest of the family. _Just tell them she'll be one of us. They would understand. I need her, Edward._ Despite my pleading, he always flatly refused. He didn't understand that I needed her; that she was the solution to my pain as well as his unhappiness.

There was a part of me that felt guilty for the surging, hopeful, brightness I felt whenever I saw crimson-eyed Bella smiling at me from her prone position. I had felt the isolation of what it is to be one of us. Did I really wish to bring another into my sudden emptiness, or Edward's self-loathing, or Rosalie's regrets, forever? I'd struggled with my feelings daily, but I'd since accepted my fate, and unlike Edward, I wasn't going to continue punish myself for being something that I hadn't chosen. I'd decided that the choices I made and the joy I brought to others justified this existence I called a life. It _was_ a life of sorts. I had nothing else to remember so I would celebrate all that I knew..

Time flew by, unnoticed in the initial turmoil and following calm. January slipped away and love-fueled, pink February flitted in on cherub's wings. .

"I don't like it Jasper, so don't bother buying it." I lilted, words sing-song, from my perch atop my drafting stool. "I don't want jewelry this year. Get me something romantic."

"It _would_ be romantic if you would just quit peeking and be surprised for once in our relationship." He muttered in mock exasperation from his study. He raised his voice to be sure the rest of the house heard his response, "I'm going to get you a Visa gift card, my love. How's that for romantic? You know what they say: It's everywhere you want to be."

I snorted at the obvious smirk coloring his retort. _Gift card, ha! He wouldn't dare!_ Edward's quiet chuckle floated down from his third-floor haven. _Quiet you!_ The chuckle exploded into laughter.

"That was in stereo." Edward guffawed. "I don't think you both could do that again if you tried."

"Great minds…" Jasper and I said again in unison, this time aloud.

"I know, I know." The volume on Edward's stereo jumped up to a thought-dampening level, drowning out his laughter and I turned back to my drawings.

The rough sketches looked promising, and even Rosalie had given the designs her approval. I'd completed several overcoats and decided I wanted the line to remain small. I didn't want to deal with the same requirements that the successful C.J. Rae line had put on me. I had far more important things to focus my energies on, now. Plus, small is exclusive. Who doesn't like to be a bit exclusive?

As I sketched some detailing on the cuffs of the last coat draft in front of me, a now-familiar melody wove itself into my mind. I let myself relax and was rewarded with a crystal clear vision of Edward buying a crimson rose. The blood-red bloom was amazing; perfectly symmetrical on its flawlessly straight deep-green stem. He was writing something on the card, but before I could read what it said, the scene drifted away on the wisps of melody.

_Oh Edward, that is the most beautiful rose I've seen in ages! I'm sorry I peeked. I promise not to look and see where you'll hide it; then at least that'll be a surprise!_ Inspired by the strain of song and pleasure from my anticipated gift, the detailing flew from my pencil: a graceful and elegant play on the musical staff vining around the cuff. Maybe the song was a present too. I don't know how he had been composing it without me hearing. Jasper and I had only left twice to hunt in the past three weeks. My mind raced through all of the times when Edward may have had a moment to practice with me out of earshot. I didn't even notice that the music above had cut off, and that my favorite moody brother leaned against my doorframe with the devil's own grin. I smiled back, interest piqued by his silent arrival.

"I've often seen a cat without a grin, but a grin without a cat…?" I slipped nimbly from my seat and skipped across the floor to give Edward my best curtsy punctuated with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, with Rosalie's hair you'd be perfect in Wonderland. I think perhaps we should consider dressing up for Halloween this year."

"Who would you be?"

"Why, Mr. Cheshire himself, of course! We'd make quite the pair." His honey-colored eyes sparkled with an unspoken joke. My eyes narrowed in suspicion, and his grin grew.

"Speaking of cat, you look like the canary-eating kind. Do tell, mon frère."

"I told you one of these days all of your peeking was going to disappoint you. I hate to see you disappointed." His eyes nonchalantly dropped from mine to study his nails

His patronizing tone only increased my suspicions. Immediately I focused, flipping through random soon-to-be's in the hopes of catching a glimpse of his plan. Bits and pieces of people and places rose and burst in my mind: burning red hair and ruby eyes, broken mirrors and heavy purplish smoke, swaying flowers and emerald grass surrounded by forest, my own face in the review mirror of Carlisle's Mercedes. Nothing. _Rien du tout!_ I thought-shouted in frustration. He was purposely keeping his intentions vague. His too-innocent eyes and self-satisfied grin just further aggravated me.

"Come now Alice, you exploit the weaknesses in my little parlor-trick talent all the time. In fact, I do recall you, quite frequently I might add, mentally singing that wretched song by that little poser-punk girl to drive me insane. I know you don't like her music, wee one, so my only reasoning for your motivation is to keep me distracted."

I felt the corners of my lips fighting to rise up in a smug smile; I struggled briefly before resigning myself to its damning presence. _Why you have to go and make things so complicated? I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated. Life's like this you- _He chuckled and cut me off with a slightly-less-than-gentle brotherly headlock.

"Hey! Stop it, Edward, you're messing up my hair." I struggled futilely and tried to pull from his grasp.

"Oh, I think I might be doing it an improvement, Spike." He chuckled again, this time at my answering growl, and proceeded to drag me, protesting, out of my room and down the hall. I heard Emmett's guffaw from the garage. _Spike? You are in so much trouble Edward._ My thoughts were answered with what could only be described as an affectionate yet aggressive hair-ruffling noogie.

"Jasper Whitlock! Do I not sound like a need rescuing?" I loudly groaned, desperately trying to slip my head from the crook of Edward's arm. He only hesitated a moment to tighten his grip before continuing doggedly towards the stairs. "Jasper…I know you can hear me."

"Edward, are you going to hurt her?" I gritted my teeth at the feigned concern coming from behind the thick oak door. I contemplated turning my head to bite the wrist that held me.

"Wasn't in the plan, but if she follows through on her thoughts I might have to." I rolled my eyes at his light tone, but I quit struggling.

"Carry on then, just see that you don't bring her back damaged." His voice took on a bored tone now, I heard him exaggerate a faux yawn. "Then I'd be forced to renounce my peaceful vows and go Confederate on you, Yank."

"What exactly does that mean? You'll try to secede from the family?" My intent was to sound scathing, but with Edward's arm around my neck it came out a bit more like a squeak. It was answered with a snicker from both of them. I tried one more time. "It wouldn't matter anyways…the South lost that war if you remember right."

Whistled Dixie floated out from behind the thick oak door, and I heard his chair creak as he settled himself back into it. _So much for southern gentlemen._ Edward chuckled yet again.

I sighed and turned so my feet were going the same direction I was being dragged and, in a last ditch effort, I tried lunging forward. Edward loosened his grip enough that I was able to slip my shoulders through but his arm encircled my waist now, and I was being hauled down the stairs, two at a time, like a rebellious plank tucked under his arm.

"Why don't you just see what will happen if you keep fighting me?" His voice stunk of smirk. I sighed again and went limp. He flung me over his shoulder and took off at a sprint. After several minutes of jostling he stopped and gently set me down. The little clearing we were in was flooded with the moonlight that streamed through the thin clouds. Bare tree branches and browned grass sparkled silver with hoarfrost. It was a strange oasis surrounded by glittering primordial forest.

In the silence I simply glared and waited. _Was that really necessary?_ _You know I would have come with you voluntarily if you had just asked. _He met my glare with dancing eyes and my annoyance immediately melted away. I haven't seen this side of Edward in weeks. In fact, I hadn't seen this Edward since he'd foolishly bet me the moon. I immediately looked inward, skimming through possibilities until Edward's elegant script on heavy cream paper caught my attention.

_Timeless perfection at its best_

_That naked Serenity hath undressed_

_A promise enfolded in velvet prose…_

"I need your help , Alice." His whispered request cut through the vision, the verse now a mere echo in my mind.

"The rose isn't for me, is it?" I was surprised by the timidity of my voice. Even more surprising were the emotions battling for control of my mind; the familiar surging hope was fighting to contain something I hadn't felt in so long, I'd almost forgotten what it was. I was glad that Edward's talent was only the ability to read my mind, and not to sense the shameful twinge of jealousy leaving verdigris on my happiness.

"No wee one, it isn't. I'm sorry. If it's roses you want though, I'll fill your room with flawless blooms."

I sat on the frosted ground, wrapped my arms around my bent legs, and rested my chin on my knees. As I allowed myself to relax, his plan unfolded in my mind. I couldn't keep the smile off of my face, but my emotions were churning just beneath it. Logic warred with desire. Contact with Bella was forbidden, even on the sly, but this choice he has made brings her closer to us, and us to contentment and completion. Esme and Carlisle would forgive him anything. I could be underhanded and seduce Jasper into agreement. Rosalie was really the only stumbling block anymore, and Emmett would agree with her just to keep the peace. I closed my eyes, but I saw no fight. I would keep an eye out for him. We could do this together. .

"It's wonderful, it will work, and you won't need my help except for twice. I'll be there when you need me." I raised my head and met his eyes, trying to drown the tiny, green-eyed monster with bubbling enthusiasm.

"You're all I've got Alice. Thank you."

I rolled my eyes. Ever dramatic. This poor girl didn't know what she was in for. S_he'll have me for stability though…at least I hope she will._ I stuffed the daydream into a dark corner of my mind before Edward saw it.

"Alice, I said I'd get you roses, not a new family member. I've promised you the moon and it's more likely you'll get that than a sister. She's not your gift. I just want to see her smile, to give her a little happiness. She won't even know it was me." I sighed. I needed to be quicker with the stuffing.

If I'd learned anything from immortality, it was patience. There were three images that remained burned into my mind. The first: the still, lifeless Swan girl, second: crimson-eyed Bella, and the best: my sister with her cool pale hands entwined in Edward's. _Denial isn't just a river in Egypt, Edward._

"If you won't help without antagonizing me, Alice, I'll just do it alone." There was an edge of annoyance in his voice…he'd been pushed enough for the day.

"Alright, I'm finished. I'm sorry. Let's go back." I took his hand and squeezed it. _I'll be here when you need me. _

He raised our clasped hands and chucked me on the chin. I offered him my brightest, most loving smile and he opened his mouth as if to speak, but then shook his head and led me back to the house. I carefully kept my mind blank but allowed the swirling torrent of emotions to engulf me. Hope, glorious fiery white hope, flooded my senses. _We can do this, everything will be fine. _Edward squeezed my hand in affirmation.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Alice, do you see how she stares at him? At us, for that matter?"

Between dead-Bella and changed-Bella, pictures in my head grew a bit static and dull. Day in and day out, week after week, nothing changed. Even Edward seemed desensitized to the once-disturbing sight. Part of me hoped it was like an ultraviolent commercial: if he saw her changed enough he might be willing to do it without much of a second thought. I'd stopped bringing her up in conversation because his denial was so frustrating. I'd let my visions do the talking from then on.

"What is he going to do about this?" Jasper's even tone belied his worry.

No one had known about the whole Valentine's Day rose escapade except for me and Jazz. I'd told Edward that I was done hiding things from Jazz, and that no amount of shopping time was worth the distance my inadmissions had created in our marriage. Jasper was often on edge after the prolonged contact. He had insisted that the flowers were a bad idea, but quit his protests when I told him that I didn't see anything new in my visions. The trust he had in me still wasn't enough to dispel all of the tension between us. I was torn again, constantly picking sides, but this time I was being drawn in three. Jasper's anxiety, Edward's denial, and my own desires to fill the mysterious void were my motivation. Jasper, however, only picked up on my frustrated attempts to keep everyone happy and the guilt when I could not. His disgruntlement then subtly infected the rest of the household. We were all uneasy, but only Jasper, Edward, and I really knew why.

"He's going to agonize about it Jazz, because that's what Edward does. I don't need you to worry too."

Jazz's lanky frame _seemed_ casually sprawled on the twilight-purple sofa, but I could feel the anxiety pouring off of him. His opinion of the whole "Bella" situation ran hot and cold. One day he joked and laughed with Edward, the next his mistrust got the best of him and he alternatingly glowered and sulked. His disapproval of Edward's actions and my participation was mastering him today. I would just have to remedy that. He didn't turn to meet my gaze as I crossed the room and stood before him. I gently pushed one leg to the floor and settled myself on the now-empty space. His arms slid down around me as I leaned back and rested my cheek against his chest. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm and I closed my eyes hoping the calm I was forcing myself to feel was giving him some peace.

I tilted my face up to his and brushed my lips across his perfect chin. "Why don't we find something else to concentrate on?" I let my voice drop into a sultry whisper. His arms tightened, but the oppressive blanket of worry didn't lift.

I sighed internally. _Do I have to do everything around here?_ I twisted in his embrace and brought my fingers up to trace along his high cheekbone and the dusky circle under his eye. He turned his head and nuzzled his face into my hand. I leaned forward to the exposed swath of skin between this neck and shoulder and pressed my lips to its cool softness. Encouraged by his held breath, I opened my lips slightly and let my tongue graze along the arch of his neck. I pulled back and smiled with satisfaction as I realized his eyes had drifted closed. I shifted further in his lap so that now we were facing each other, my knees on either side of his hips. His hands parted company; one slid downward to grip my waist and to pull me harder against him, the other ruffling the short hair at the base of my neck.

"Why did you stop?" His husky growl perfectly matched the smoldering fire in his hooded eyes. His hand clasped my waist, thumb rubbing a circular pattern on my hipbone. I bit my lip and dropped forward, forearms resting on his chest, and mimicked the circular movement of his thumb with my hips. At the contact, his eyes rolled back and closed and had I been able to bruise, four perfect fingers and a thumb would have been branded across my hip.

"So I could see that." I whispered, elbows resting on his chest. I cradled his head in my hands, tipping it back lightly and dusting kisses up the line of his throat to his chin. Sliding my fingers up and through his golden hair, I tipped his face forward and nipped his full bottom lip gently with my teeth. I felt the rope of control he clung to unraveling, the muscles in his arms jumping and tensing as each strand broke. I twisted my hips one last time before the hand palming the back of my head crushed our lips together. Hunger swirled in heavy tendrils around the room as his kisses devoured my soul. I moaned and felt the answering rumble in his chest as the last frayed cord of control snapped plunging us into the flames.

In a fluid motion I found myself flipped on my back and astride a muscular thigh. Jasper's forearms were on either side of my head, our foreheads gently touching. His eyes burned into mine, his breath came in hitching gasps. The power that I had to put him on the razor's edge was intoxicating. I arched against him and closed my eyes as his head angled to capture my lips.

"Open your eyes, darlin'."

His gravelly growl coaxed, sending a shiver through me. The backs of his fingers brushed along my cheek and I opened my eyes to find myself pinned to the sofa by his. His lips hovered a hairsbreadth from mine; his breath puffed cool against me. A car horn blared through crisp morning air shattering the intensity; I closed my eyes with a sigh. The answering chuckle was tight and frustrated.

"Never again…I'm done with high school. It's incredibly inconvenient."

_Dear God, so am I._ "You know," I raised my voice enough to be heard outside, "I really think we should just do the college thing next time we move and make Edward slog through high school again for us." I heard Edward's protesting groan from the car and he laid on the horn again.

I reached up and brushed an errant strand of hair from Jazz's face before raising up on one elbow and pecking him on the cheek regretfully. I sighed again after looking down at my now-wrinkled skirt and blouse.

"Go on down, I have to change." I pressed my finger to his lips and cut his protest short as I wiggled from under his kneeling form. "We have to go today Jazz, we'll have a few sunny days next week."

I heard his irritated grunt as he pushed himself from the couch and stalked downstairs to the waiting car. _No time to coordinate anything spectacular today…a little warning might have been nice, brother of mine._ I threw on one of the ensembles Edward had placated me with, shouted a farewell to Esme, and hopped down the stairs to the waiting Volvo. I squeezed in next to Emmett because Rose refused to sit in the backseat unless she had half the seat for herself, _and_ got to sit next to him.

"Great, Rose thanks. Excellent start to the day. I don't know why I bothered changing out of the wrinkled stuff." I scrunched my nose at her and the humming irritation swirling in the car.

Jasper hadn't bothered trying to dampen his frustration, so the whole car was on edge.

"It's not like you have anyone to impress, Alice." She snapped back, her eyes never leaving her manicured nails. "Besides, if you look too good Tyler Crowley might try to convince you to ask him to that ridiculous Sadie Hawkins dance they're having."

Jasper snorted and the mood lightened considerably. Emmett scooped Rose onto his lap and buried his face into her neck.

"So, which gorgeous dress am I going to get to peel off of you after this dance?"

I was surprised the car didn't flip over with the force of our combined eye-rolling at his stage whisper. Rosalie looked aghast.

"What makes you think I'm asking you? You've been taking me for granted lately. I'm thinking about asking that little Asian fellow. I think we'd make a cute couple." Palms flat on his chest, she pushed herself back into her seat and adjusted her clothing as she mumbled. "As if I would be caught dead at a school functions anyway…"

I grinned and winked at Edward's eyes in the rearview mirror. I could see the sympathy for Jasper's soon-to-be predicament softening their darkened edges.

"Jazz?" I wheedled, making myself feel as plaintive as possible. "Will you go with me to the Sadie Hawkins dance? I want to be able to give Tyler a good reason for not going with him." I placed my hand lightly on his broad shoulder.

A pregnant pause followed; the others playing their parts without being asked. I fixed a pout to my face and let my hand drop from his arm. I heard the small sigh and before I could count to three, he came through.

"I would be honored, Alice. I hope Rosalie and her miniscule date will accompany us, I would hate to have to go to dinner alone." Emmett chuckled as Jasper continued. "Plus, I don't think it's called a Sadie Hawkins dance anymore ladies.

"Your age is showing, girls." Edward barely got the words out of his mouth before he had to dodge Rose's well-aimed smack.

The joking banter continued throughout the drive, across the parking lot until we reached our classes. Jasper and I parted with our usual kiss and invocation. I tip-toed off to class, sketchbook in hand, looking to put the finishing touches on my drawings. My line had been picked up by several small boutiques in Seattle, Olympia, and one little local shop in Port Angeles. I'd sewn a couple of individual pieces for Rose and Edward to model and the photos made Je Crée an instant hit.

As Varner droned on, I smiled a bit at the name Edward and Jasper had come-up with for me. They'd rearranged letters over and over, but nothing had fit. Edward had been harassing me all night about helping them and finally, at my wits end, I had shouted at them to leave me out of it. They took me literally, Jasper erased the A and Edward had the house's new name, _en français, _nonetheless. "I create". It was perfect.

"Alice?" I blinked and shifted, catching Mr. Varner's concerned gaze. "Are you with us?"

"Sorry sir, just lost track of my thoughts." He nodded and turned to Eric Yorkie and signaled him to continue.

The greasy-headed boy's voice droned on, a dull backdrop for the swirling image of an irritated Bella shaking her head at his cracked-voice request of her to ask him to the dance. _I knew she had good taste. There's still hope for you, Edward._ I could imagine his annoyed frown and fingers clasped at the bridge of his nose. Bella swirled into my mind once again, this time with Mike Newton stammering his interest in her company. Over her shoulder, Edward's jaw tightened and his eyes tried to burn holes through Newton's face. I choked back a giggle, and stared intently into my book. That little vision was enough to get me to lunch.

The cafeteria buzzed and hummed with excitement and sometimes- hesitant invitations. An occasional ecstatic shriek would split the air as one of the little human girl's biggest dream just came true. _No one ask you yet, Edward? Rose and I would love if you would come. Emmett needs a date._ He rolled his eyes without turning his head to meet mine. The hour was spent immersed in mundane visions of the upcoming week and trying to tune out Emmett as he played the role of spurned lover.

"Rose, come on." Emmett hadn't stopped trying to get Rosalie's attention since her Ben Cheney comment in the car. "You're not really considering going, are you?"

Rosalie feasted on his discomfited attentions. Her silence was more distressing to him than affirmation and she knew it. She rose from the table, and without even so much as a glance at Emmett, she walked out of the cafeteria.

"Rosie, please?" Like a lumbering puppy, Emmett pulled his bulk from the cafeteria chair and trailed after her. "You know I would go if you asked me."

"Alice, you weren't serious about that ridiculous dance, were you?" Jasper hissed in my direction, but his eyes followed Emmett's pathetic parade out of the lunchroom.

Edward's tense jaw loosened for a moment and he chuckled as I considered extending Jasper's agony. I couldn't do it anymore though. If I stretched this joke out any longer I might as well call myself Rosalie.

"Honestly Jasper. When was the last time we attended a school function?" I winked and stuck my tongue out at him. "Come on, let's get to class. Matthews is in a bad mood today, and I'm going to be late."

Edward collected Rose and Emmett's trays as well as his own. "If you knew you were going to be late, wee one, why didn't you leave earlier?" He dumped everything and walked with Jasper and I into the hall.

"I don't need to dignify that with a response. Go to class." _Mike Newton is about to put the moves on Bella, you're going to love it. Krebs cycle, by the way._ Would this moment of jealousy be his undoing? I would have to find a way to thank Newton if this all worked out in my favor. He looked slightly confused as he headed off to Bio and I moved on to the rest of my daily torment.

I spent Murphy's class writing a paper for Matthews. I'd been late and was only able to get out of a detention by promising an extra project. I'm sure that he didn't think I would be able to pull it off by the end of the day. I'd seen Bella's strategy for eliminating her seemingly endless line of suitors. _Seattle? Really? Oh, I so doubt it._ I knew he probably wasn't listening, but I couldn't help but mention it. It was such a lame excuse, very obviously made up on the spot to avoid going to the dance. _Especially not in that truck._

Paper finished and Murphy's lecture finished I tapped my foot and waiting for the bell to ring. Boredom encouraged flipping through the future, so I let the visions fly. Hearing Edward's laughter caught my attention and I willed myself to pull the image into my mind. She's angry with him; it seems as if he's cut her off in the parking lot. Then the scene skips to his laughter. I focused on the empty spot to try to force the vision to appear, but my focus was rewarded only with the sound of his mirth. The scene jumps again forward. He sits, ironically, as silent as death, on the windowsill of her bedroom. His eyes are closed in concentration…_What in the…_ Then I hear it, the breathless whisper that shocks me as much as it will shock him.

"Edward…"


	18. Angst

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**A/N: This is going to be a long one…**

*** Angst means confusion in Dutch.**

*** I have taken Jasper's full name from a fic by Minisinoo called ****Cowboys and Indians****. Her story and mine have nothing in common besides the name and Jasper's essential existentialism. I took the name because I love her explanation for it and as a tribute to one of my favorite fanfics. ****Cowboys**** is AMAZING and I highly recommend reading it.**

**Now. This was supposed to be posted on Christmas, but we all know the holidays and how things get out of hand. I was out of town, had the pleasure of the stomach flu, then got to come home a day early because of frantic calls from my dogsitter, phone calls to the local emergency Vet, and finally having to put my baby to sleep. It's been a rough 4 days.**

**This chapter goes out to all of my friends who have been nothing but incredible to me the past two days. Sam, my new writing buddy. Tammy, beta fantastico and Saturday interlocutor. Melia, your chapter was beautiful and the dedication brought tears of happy with the sad. Ava, for the late night reviewing of sentence after sentence for my addled brain. And finally, Kate, my bestie, I dunno where I'd be right now if it weren't for you. Curled up in a corner and crying I'm sure…story forgotten. Lola always enjoyed my late night revisions because she could lay in my lap under the PC. This one is for her.**

Angst

I'd managed to keep the end of the bedroom vision hidden from Edward. It was exceedingly difficult to keep it secret. My romantic heart wanted nothing more than to watch the little scene over and over, the excitement of blossoming love sparking in my unbeating heart. I was becoming more obsessed with this relationship than Edward. Bad sign.

"Edward, you can't be serious." I leapt nimbly from the boulder as he approached, anxiety veiled by my light tone. "I mean, I don't see any trouble…but-" I couldn't stop the thought. _It's awfully..um.. creepy._

_Creepy is my increasingly consuming investment in this whole situation._ I had always known that Jasper and I would be together, our bond was stronger than the flashfire of new love. I was startled by the regret I felt for never having experienced the little thrill that uncertainty brought to courtship, but then again I rarely experienced uncertainty. Was it the novelty of the unknown or envy? Jazz and my relationship was eternal, why did I feel so drawn to the fireworks Edward's obsession ignited? This whole cluster of emotions I kept finding myself in was very Rosalie-ish. Too much so for my liking.

"Creepy, wee one?" Edward's quiet question pulled me from my musings, there was a hint of amusement in his response. "And you're nothing like Rosalie you know, I can see inside that mind of hers. Rosalie's thoughts are usually for herself, at least recently they have been. I've really upset her with my behavior. You though, you're always thinking of the rest of the family."

Apparently I had been incredibly vigilant in hiding my sister-wanting thoughts. He wouldn't think me so selfless if he has seen how much I thought of all the things Bella and I could do together. I don't think he had actually come to terms with what he's decided to do. I know I certainly hadn't. I'd spent the rest of the school day in a swirl of emotions: My brother was a potential stalker. _But_ he was stalking my potential little sister. My brother was in love with a human. _But _the human keeps showing up changed in my visions. The outcomes from this foreseen tryst just wouldn't firm themselves up, and I was mighty frustrated. Would he continue to try talking to her or was this a goodbye? I didn't want to imagine the argument that was going to ensue after this little tête à tête. I flipped a few scenes in my head: lots of yelling in one, packing and leaving in another, and then, exactly what I was looking for: Emmett would be obliging tonight. With a little sugaring on my part, and a promise to buy Rosalie whatever she needed to replace the engine on his jeep, he will agree to take her hunting tonight. If Rosalie wasn't home when Edward dropped this bomb, Jasper would be the only one we needed to convince that our cover wouldn't be blown.

Edward snorted at the vision, but his responding comment was flooded with appreciation.

"I wasn't really looking forward to an encore with Rose, Alice." He caught up my hand, fiddling nervously with my wedding ring and not meeting my eyes. "Thanks for taking care of that for me. " Then he took a deep breath. "What about Jasper?"

He looked up then, fingers still around mine. I pulled my hand from his grasp. "What are you saying, Edward?" _He wouldn't dare-_

"No! No, no…Alice, I don't want to be the cause of any more problems between the two of you. Be honest with him, by all means. I don't want you to hide anything."

Before he finished his sentence, I had already given both decisions a glance. If I was evasive with Jasper as to Edward's whereabouts this evening, he would sense the guilt, become suspicious, and mope in his study with Huis Clos for company. If I decided to be upfront, we would skip the first two reactions and go straight to the sulk and Sartre. I gritted my teeth and had a sudden urge to run something down.

"I need to go hunt…now." I turned abruptly and sprinted off into the forest. Part of me hoped he wouldn't follow, yet another part of me wanted the comfort his company brought. I heard the dead brush crackle behind me and I smiled a little at his attempt to give me both distance and companionship.

"Right, Alice. Elk to the right."

_That's not much of a chase, I want something faster. I need to run off some frustration. _ The image of a quick catch and temporary relief from the ever-present burn flashed quickly through my mind and I changed course. I could always race Edward for a little de-stress run.

"I'm sorry forest creature; I do respect your life." I muttered under my breath. I'm sure Edward was fighting back a chuckle, as Jasper did every time I apologized to my prey for taking the only thing it owned. Only Esme understood my regret.

There was no chase; the poor ungulate didn't even have time to react to my approach. I downed him and had him drained before Edward arrived. The reprieve of searing thirst cleared my head, providing space for snippets of scenes and sounds, one chasing another with no apparent rhyme or reason to any: a flash of canary yellow, a wolf howl, Emmett in the backseat of his jeep,. It was the last image that lingered: Bella curled into a ball in the woods, living yet not. My eyes jumped to Edward's.

"I'll tell her to stay out of the woods." He shrugged but he couldn't hide the initial flash of panic that crossed his face. "I'm going to find this one's herd." He disdainfully nudged the fallen elk with a toe. "Herbivores…." The disgust was evident in his voice.

"Look, beggars can't be choosers. Go on to Goat Rocks, I'll tell everyone where you went." I was giving him an out, a chance to make a decision that would lead him away from Isabella Swan. I knew he would test it, so I closed my eyes and leaned against a towering cedar. The onset was swift and had I not been leaning I would have staggered: Rose's beautiful face was hard with anger and she stood toe to toe with Edward. "Why should I?" Her incredulous voice radiated cold fury. "What is she to me? Except a menace – a danger you've chosen to inflict on all of us."

The scene abruptly ended with her scathing comment and another filled my mind: me this time, my face stoic, eyes dull and unfeeling. Jasper stretched on a couch behind staring silently at the ceiling, body tense. I heard no other voices, and as I focused I realized I had no idea where we were. It wasn't our house, or any house I'd been in before. I shook my head to clear the vision.

"So which is it?" I didn't bother opening my eyes. This was a defining moment; he was going to have to be honest about his fixation with Bella.

"The first that we saw." He answered slowly, drawing the words out. "Rosalie wouldn't leave us if I did something drastic and upset her. She enjoys carrying that grudge too much."

"I wouldn't leave either." I spoke with a confidence I wasn't sure I had, then continued softly, cowed by my uncertainty. "Are you going to Goat Rocks tonight?"

"You know where I'm going, Alice."

With that he was gone, Rosalie's rage swirling behind my closed eyes.

XxXxXx

"Emmmmmettt." I crooned towards the Du Loc River and open forest beyond. "I know you can hear, I've seen you try to tackle me." I waited crouched and ready to run, listening for his telltale chuckle. I heard a whoosh of air and a watery slosh. "Oh god Emmett, you aren't seriously still testing that ridiculous theory?"

A few months back, we all had been sitting around the house one afternoon waiting for Carlisle to come home from the hospital. A group hunting trip had been planned, and the boys had been lamenting the lack of variety in big predators. We all preferred the blood of predators if we had a choice, but seven vampires hunting what can only be called an underabundance of carnivores would lead to the eventual extinction of our favorite meals.

"You know," Rosalie had said thoughtfully, "Why do we limit ourselves to dry land?"

"Really Rosalie, fish?" Jasper had chuckled, "I think they're probably as appetizing as squirrels or rabbits."

"Not fish, idiot, sharks. Or dolphins…whales even." Rosalie's retort had cut Jasper's disdainful laughter like a knife. She'd continued, ignoring his scathing glare. "I mean, we don't have to breathe. Why not jump to the top of the food chain in the water as well?"

Jasper and Rosalie had argued for a solid week, going around and around about whether or not becoming kings of the sea would even be possible. Edward and I had egged them on; Edward confirming that he'd seen a vision of mine where we all had feasted on a single orca. Only Emmett had uncharacteristically remained aloof from the bickering, quietly pensive until I had seen his plan: practice in the river honing technique and timing until he felt ready to try open water. Futilely. I had tried reasoning with him, describing the bits and pieces of visions where I'd seen him soggy for months without measureable success. He hadn't wanted to hear it. Undeterred by my warnings and the laughter and teasing from everyone else, Emmett spent most of his free time in the river, chasing fish. Obstinate and now apparently clairvoyant, since he'd take no advice from me. That's fine, it kept him busy enough to slow down the number of practical jokes he planned for me. I hoped he was slightly successful this evening because I needed a favor and he needed to be in a good mood.

"What do you need, Alice?" He shook like an animal, crystalline droplets spraying in an arc from his sodden hair and clothing.

"What makes you think I need something, Emmett?" I responded sweetly, but my body was still tensed to flee. He wasn't known for his predictability. Edward had told me once that acquaintances of the family thought Emmett a bit dense due to his penchant for solving problems physically. He was as good natured as Carlisle and me, stubborn as his lovely bride and prideful brother, but not stupid. We all knew better. His interests had never been books or philosophy, but his mind was as quick as the steel traps humans used to catch bears. Incredibly observant and able to read people and situations with an uncanny accuracy rivaling an Edward/Jasper meld, Emmett was consistently underestimated by those who didn't know him.

"I'm not going to grab you Alice, relax." Immediately it was so, the vision of him sitting where he stood drained the tension from my limbs. "And I know you need something because, besides Rose, I'm the last person you would seek out for casual conversation."

His voice held no bitterness, his eyes no pain, yet still the comment hurt when I realized it was true. We travelled in our own circles in the same house, rarely spending time alone with each other. Rosalie and I occasionally bonded over shopping and clothes, but Emmett and I never spent time together. _Has to change, I love him too._ "I'm sorry, Em. You're right."

"About you needing something, or about being the last person you seek out for conversation?" I could hear the smile color his voice, just plain smile, no smugness or pretention. _Why didn't I spend more time with him? It has to be less pressure than conversations with Edward. At least lately._

"Both." He chuckled at my response and waited, caramel eyes searching my face in the advancing darkness. "I need a favor, Em. Can you get Rosalie out of the house tonight?"

The chuckle returned, low and light. "What has Edward done this time?"

"Why does every-"

"Cut the crap Alice, and spill." The laughter was gone from his voice, but there was no menace. The sigh escaped before I could stop it and Emmett patted the grass in front of him. I walked over slowly and folded myself to the ground.

"Edward and Jasper aren't the only ones in the family who worry for you Alice." His tone was soft, so unlike the Emmett who plotted and schemed. "You're under an awful amount of pressure here, pulled between the two of them." My head had started to shake, to deny the observation, and his hand shot from the ground and caught my chin.

"Don't deny it. I see things. I'm no idiot." His eyes burned for a moment at the mention of the word, then he continued. "Rose sees it too, and Esme, and Carlisle. They won't say anything. Hell, I wouldn't have said anything. You're no child."

His hand released my chin and raised to scratch his head as he shrugged. "Just tell me what's going on . It has to be big if you want Rosie gone, and I'm not going to incur her wrath just because you ask me a favor. Quid pro quo, Alice."

I couldn't help but grin as he rhymed my name with Clarice and slurped like Hannibal Lecter. _Why haven't I thought to include Emmett_? But then I looked up at his hulking form and remembered his stance the night of our fight. How he had towered over Edward's slumped form, glaring next to a smirking Rosalie, compassionless line drawn in the sand. I could feel the bond between us shrinking and I straightened. His hand shot forward again and grabbed my wrist, all five fingers wrapping entirely around it. I narrowed my eyes and rose to my knees, trying to pull my arm from his meaty paw.

"I didn't think it was a good idea at the time. I've since changed my mind." His vice-like grip didn't match his pleading tone. "Hear me out, Alice. You owe me at least that."

"Let me go." My teeth were clenched but I kept my voice even.

His hand dropped mine abruptly, then he raised it to ruffle more water from his damp curls. "I was afraid, Alice. I can't lose her. I would think that, of anyone, you would understand." His eyes met mine for a moment, begging me to see the situation from his eyes. "Jasper has told me about the Volturi before. The terror he projects when he speaks of them should be reason enough to believe. There isn't much that scares your husband."

I sat back on my heels and waited while he gathered his thoughts. "Just try for a moment to imagine what it's like to not see what may happen, to only know what is now and to have _fear_ for what is to come." His eyes were closed, brow furrowed with the effort of putting his feelings to words, "To trust the life of my love to someone with their own agenda." He opened his eyes with that and stared into mine. "What if you were me, and I were you, and Jasper was on the line?"

"Emmett, you know I wouldn't let anything happen to Rosalie."

He shook his head. "Alice, please. You aren't trying. What would you do if you saw that you would lose Jasper?"

"I'd do everything in my power to save him." _Where was he going with this?_

"Well, that's what I was doing." He stopped then and looked to the sky. After a pause, he murmured, soft and hesitant. "She's like his Rosalie, isn't she?"

"I think so, but he's in denial." I chose my words carefully. I didn't think that Emmett needed any more than Edward's investment in Bella, but as usual he surprised me.

"What's in it for you?" He pointedly kept my gaze.

I sighed again. "Emmett, I don't really want to get into this now. I'm still trying to work it out myself." I couldn't tell anyone about my inner turmoil and Bella Swan. The longing was indescribable, the void unexplainable and I needed Rosalie gone tonight. _Deal, bargain, beg…do something to get him to agree._ I sighed. _He doesn't have to know everything._

"I see her changed Emmett." I waited for the roar, and when it wasn't forthcoming, I continued. "Changed or dead, always one or the other. Lately it's been almost always changed."

He nodded, apparently placated by the revelation. "I'll take her tonight to look at parts for the Shelby in Seattle and then hunting." He stood and reached his hand to help me up. "Remember this next time you and Edward decide what's best for us, little sister. Fear is a great motivator, but love works better. We all understand love even if Edward doesn't. Don't let him hide from us. It just makes us think we have something to fear."

"Thank you Em." I smiled gratefully, and squeezed his hand. He reached over and ruffled my unruly hair.

"Sure thing, Spike." And with a wink he was gone, calling for Rosalie to meet him in the garage.

XxXxXx

Jasper sat with his back against a towering cedar, one hand resting on raised knee the other tracing lazy circles along my stomach as I sat between his legs and leaned against his chest. I'd managed to talk him into a hunt even though I'd gone earlier with Edward. Jazz needed it though. We'd been working on his endurance too much too fast and the added stress of the Bella situation wasn't making it any easier.

The hunt had been successful and as we sat, satiated, I let my mind wander. Flashing in and out, I didn't bother to grasp for any particular scene, instead letting them pour over me. A moving tapestry of images…baseball, a red shirt, a darkened hotel room, all woven together by the strains of the nameless lullaby that had so frequented my visions lately.

I stretched against Jasper and smiled as he brought his other arm down and tightened them around me. As I relaxed further it happened, so sudden I had no time to prepare, a swirling void in my sight. Before I could shove it away, it swallowed me and I frantically tried pulling something familiar from my mind to bring me back.

It was so dark, close, suffocating although I knew technically impossible. I could smell fear and filth and there were hands clutching: my arms, my head. Pain knifing, red to black to gray then fog. Cool and hard on my back the ground, the forest. Home. Safe. Him. Jasper's frightened voice calling my name and stroking my hair.

I left my eyes closed and waited until I was sure I could speak without my voice trembling. "How long was I out this time?" Even with the deliberate pause I couldn't keep the question from quavering. His arms tightened around me and I realized we were no longer under the ancient cedar.

"Ten minutes, Alice. You were out for ten minutes. You were screaming again." He paused, his eyes frantic in their worry and reverberating the previous terror I must have been bombarding him with. "You've never done this before, Lis, not in the last half-century. Now twice in as many months. What the hell is going on?"

_What –_is-_ going on? I've never had a vision so vivid that I could feel another's touch or smell my surroundings._ "I-…I honestly don't know, Jazz. Everything was fine then suddenly there was nothing." As I spoke the claustrophobic fear was there again, irrational and all-consuming. Jasper gasped and locked his jaw, fighting to remain still, his eyes darted from tree to tree looking for a reason for my horror.

_Deep breath. Smell. Nothing but forest._ "Make it stop." I moaned, struggling against the chill gripping my still heart. It lightened, its grasp easing, and I sucked in a lungful of crisp clean air. Jasper had placed his hands on either side of my face and was focusing intently on calming me down. I started talking immediately, hoping that perhaps if I released all my anxiety the vision would dissipate. The words poured from me before I could think to censor them.

"Edward's going to Bella Swan's house tonight. I don't know why he's going, but I saw her whisper his name in her sleep." I pushed the words from me, hoping they would take the dread with them. "He won't harm her, and I think her calling to him will be the impetus that brings the two of them together."

"And _that_ has you writhing on the ground and screaming for someone to help you?" Jasper's tone was flatly skeptical. He continued, disapproval seeping into his voice. "He's breaking his promise again? Doesn't he see what this is doing to you?"

"Jazz, please. That was just a vision gone wrong…again." I could think again, but now I was forced to do damage control. "I spoke to Emmett. He agrees that perhaps Bella _is_ what Edward needs. That maybe Edward does love the girl and maybe she's to be his mate. I've seen her Jasper…you know I have." Desperation again at the end, blunted by Jasper's ministrations, crept into my voice. _Emmett understood. Why couldn't Jasper and Rosalie? What did I have to do…_

"Oh Alice. Do you have any idea how hard this is going to be for me?" He pulled me forward into his lap and rested his head against mine. "I trust you, Lis. I believe you if you say Edward won't hurt her, if you say the Volturi won't come, but I don't trust myself." He sighed, "I want this for Edward, because I think it's about time he realized there is someone else in this world that matters besides himself. But, I could ruin everything in the blink of an eye…."

The guilt rose from my gut, overwhelming the tiny hopeful flame Jasper's heartfelt words had ignited. I was as selfish as Edward. I hadn't even considered the effect that Bella's presence would have on Jasper. I wanted for me the completion I was so sure she would bring that I had utterly disregarded the feelings of the center of my universe. Jasper eyed me warily, his suspicions confirmed by my silence and the guilt he undoubtedly sensed. Damage control was becoming my permanent profession. I needed to stop his train of thought before it wrecked.

"No, Jasper. You don't do anything to put her in danger. I am just disappointed in myself that I hadn't thought how this would affect you." _Swallow the guilt Alice, he's got enough to worry about now._ I forced myself to relax, one limb at a time, until I was sure that the calm I was feeling was entire my own doing. As I mastered my tension, Jasper's own burden lightened and he traced his fingers through my hair, occasionally catching a wayward lock and wrapping it around his finger.

"Lis, darlin', can you talk about your vision now?" He tried his best to sound nonchalant, providing me with an out if I didn't want to discuss it. He would dwell, though, and the thought that it could happen again made me as uneasy as it made him. I've never lost control over my own head before.

"It was nothing Jazz." I felt his hand still, then resume its slow soothing motions. His disappointment was almost palpable, although he surely held back. _Explain better, Alice. He thinks you're dodging the question, not giving an answer. _"It was nothing, I mean like a giant hole-in-my-head, nothing. When we were sitting before I was having little flashes and glimpses of things, like normal, then all of a sudden I was sucked into this black hole and spit into hell."

His hands had stopped and he was looking at me in sympathetic horror. I pushed on, realizing that if I stopped and took his comfort now, I would conveniently forget the episode ever happened.

"I could _smell_ there, and someone was touching me, and it was so dark." My voice was rising and I could feel the panic as it began to bubble below the surface. _Control it_. "I don't know what it means, and I don't know why it was so different from everything else I see."

I finished in a whisper. "Something is missing, Jasper, and I don't know what it is. I'm afraid to look for it because I don't want to go back there, but the not-knowing is almost worse."

He smiled a little and pulled me close. "Only to you is the not-knowing worse, Lis. The rest of us exist in the not-knowing every day and we survive."

We sat for hours, although it seemed like only moment, in a comfortable comforting silence. The darkness came and tucked itself around our forest hide-a-way, the moon and stars hidden by the practically perpetual cloud-cover. Edward would be coming back in a few hours and I wanted to be home for him when he got there. I pushed myself up from Jasper's lap and reached my hand to him.

"In a hurry, wee one? Concerned you're going to have to protect your favorite from Rosalie's wrath?" He quipped, eyebrow raised at my outstretched hand.

I rolled my eyes. "Rosalie isn't even home." _It's not like she would have killed him. She's always at his throat for something. This Bella thing is just a better opportunity than all of the others. Emmett is accepting, Jasper is handling it, Carlisle and Esme don't seem bothered. Why is she so adamantly against any relationship with the girl?_

"Jazz, do you think the animosity that Rosalie has for Edward right now is a twisted form of sibling rivalry?" I had no real reference for the behavior, but Jazz had had several brothers and sisters. I can't imagine why anyone would feel any type of rivalry with a family member….to just be lucky enough to have them.

He took my hand and carefully placed each of his fingers between mine, his palm on the back of my hand, lining up our wedding rings. The diamonds glittered dimly in the muted moonlight and I thought for a moment he had decided against answering my question. I turned and saw his eyes closed, face slack in deep thought, our hands still held in midair. The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly, and I choked back a flare of jealousy. _Twice recently for that too._ _Oh to be able to reach into your own mind and pull out the past instead of the future._

"Alice I haven't thought of them in so long…I'm amazed I've been able to bring any of those memories back." The tiny crinkle was still there and the corners of his mouth tugged upwards in a small smile. "You know, I think you may be right, although I don't think it's _sibling_ rivalry, per say. Rosalie isn't seeking the greater approval of Carlisle or Esme, at least I don't think she is. Rose is struggling with a lot of things."

He started forward, walking back towards the house, taking my hand in a more conventional hold and slightly swinging our clasped palms between us. I stayed silent hoping he would extrapolate on his thoughts. It didn't take long before he began to reminisce.

"You know a lot of this already but, I was the oldest of eight, and we were always vying for attention from momma or papa. It was winter, and those of us who were school-aged all attended together." He had stopped walking, free hand pushed up through his hair as he struggled to drag the memory from the back of his mind. "I don't exactly recall what started it, but some of the boys in my grade and I had started teasing a girl one grade below us. Pulling her hair mostly, tying her braids together, silly pranks to us now but then it was serious business. The teacher caught us, but I'd talked him out of a punishment by claiming harmless fun and showing him I knew my lessons in spite of the disturbance."

He chuckled softly and started forward again, raising my hand to kiss the tip of each finger. "My next oldest sister, Emma, always felt there was a competition between her and me in anything we did. I was rarely in trouble, I think I owed that to my muted ability, and it really riled her to see me get out of yet another sticky situation. I should have known she would make sure I didn't get out of this one."

I smiled, trying to imagine Jasper as a child trying to talk his sister out of snitching on him. Closing my eyes, I felt for the bond there, strong through petty arguments and childish tantrums. The nostalgia had put Jasper in a pleasant mood, and he was radiating contentment. I let it wash over me as I tried vicariously to relive his memory in my mind.

"I spent our entire walk home trying to convince her that telling our father wasn't the way to go. I tried blackmail, but she'd been whipped plenty and the rare opportunity to see me get my comeuppance was worth another tanning. Emma was a tough one." His eyes were far away in pre-Civil War Texas, staring ahead as he spoke, the chuckle now playing along his lips as a smile. "She pushed me up the stairs and squeezed past my stumbling form, screeching for papa as soon as she had the front door open. I turned right back around and walked to the back barn. No reason to give her the satisfaction of seeing papa drag me out to for the strapping I was sure to get, I'd take my punishment like a man. I sat on a milking stool, the dread rising in my gut as I waited for the inevitable heavy boot steps on the rough wooden floor. I was disappointed only in that those hard steps were accompanied by lighter footfalls . My father, his face stormy and saddened at the same time, had brought Emma with him."

I glanced up and saw the softened memory glow in his golden eyes, the smile became less rueful and more warm.

"Emma's eyes held a glint of victory and as my father had reached for the harness strap on the wall she stuck her tongue out at me and spun around to leave. We both jumped when my father's voice thundered out, "Emma Louise, you stay right here and see this out. Your intent was to have him strapped. You'll get your wish."

I remember distinctly my mouth going dry as Emma turned, the spark of vengeance dimming in her wide gray eyes. Punishment was private in our house, the others knew you might be getting a whippin' but no one was privy to your shame but papa." Jasper's voice matched his eyes now, far away from Forks, in the warmish winter of West Texas. "I stood there, biting back tears, pants to my ankles with only the thin cotton of my drawers between my little remaining dignity and the world. Emma stood, first on one foot then on the other, looking anywhere but at me. I braced myself for the burn when I heard the strap whistle through the air. It cracked against the bare skin of my thighs and I bit through my lip. I vividly remember tasting blood. Emma's eyes met my tear-filled ones, any happiness at my punishment gone from her gaze. The second swish and crack caught me by surprise and I cried out in spite of myself. I felt the tears spill over and run down my face and was surprised again, this time by Emma's own tear stained face. Three more lashes, our eyes were locked. Stifled sobs shook her body, her arms hung limp at her sides. My father hung the harness back on its hook and crouched between us. "Jasper Hampton Whitlock, I don't ever want to hear another bad report about you from school. The teacher associates your behavior with our family name, and I won't have the Whitlock name tarnished. And Emma Louise, remember that what hurts one member of this family hurts you. You are brother and sister and that's a bond that shouldn't be broken by revenge and pettiness."

We stopped on the periphery of the clearing, the house in sight now. Jasper's voice lost the soft nostalgic tone and turned regretful. Jasper and the rest of the family knew how much it hurt me sometimes not to remember my past, so they often hid their memories from me. Precious glances into his childhood were few and far between. "I'm sorry darlin', I got a little lost there. I just think sometimes that Rosalie and Edward are a lot like me and Emma were. You can draw your own conclusions."

"I love to hear about you growing up, Jazz. You can remember for me any day." I didn't want him to regret sharing. I hung onto all of their stories as if they were my own.

As we covered the fifty yards into the house I planned out the last few hours before Edward would come home. I would lie on my bed and replay Jasper's memory over and over in my mind until it became mine. I would be Emma, so desperate to be better than my older brother in my parents' eyes, that I would realize too late that 'better' didn't exist to parents. I shoved away the bitter part of me pointing it out that my daydreams were nothing but fantasy, and focused instead on Edward's return.

Each flicker and flash was murky with his indecisiveness. The only detail unclouded is a cherry-red BMW parked in the school lot next to the Volvo. That could mean any number of things, the least likely being a friendly familial race to school and the most likely being Rosalie had grown sick and tired of Edward's little game. When we entered the house I excused myself with a kiss and a squeeze, claiming the need to prep for school. As I lounged in the tub, a human habit that had always fascinated me, I tried to sort-out my own infatuation with Bella Swan. I wanted Edward happy, of course, but what else was there? _What's in it for me?_ Emmett's question loomed large. The words wrapped and repeated; a new mantra for my novel madness. If I didn't continue to focus on the question, I would, instead, be forced to contemplate an answer. But it was the answer that preceded the darkness, that was the harbinger of chaos. The thought of another dissension into aphotic discord was more than my being could bear. So I sought refuge in another human habit: avoidance.


	19. When All Else Fails, Go Home

**A/N: Yes, I know. This has taken forever and a damn day. I've decided that I'm no longer practicing for NaNoWriMo. Perhaps putting length restrictions on myself was a bad idea. This may mean more frequent updates, but shorter chaps. **

**Thank you so much everyone who has continued to read, review, and support my slow self. Each review, fav add, and alert add was a guilty plink in my heart. I write for all of you who have been so encouraging! **

**I owe this chapter and its eventual completion to my personal support group. Melia, Charlotte to my Vandetta, I loves! Sam, my favorite hermit and fellow outcast, I can only say that it's so nice to be understood. To my FANTASTICAL betas Tnuccio and Ava Sinclair (Avalonia)…I swear there would never be any more updates without your beloved nagging. Lastly, but bestly, Kate. This one is for you. Actually, they're all for you…  
**

**Please check out the TLYDF at ** _discerningficster(dot)blogspot(dot)com_** I have been honored by Lunière being rec'ed there, and by being asked to contribute a rec. Join up, read up, speak up. You won't be disappointed!**

**Disclaimer: All characters and some dialog belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

When All Else Fails, Go Home.

_Why are you so late?_

Muffled conversation from the kitchen reverberated through the stiflingly silent space between my perch on the staircase banister and Edward's stealthy stop in the doorway. When I'd seen he had planned to arrive late to avoid talking to me, I'd parked myself here to catch him as he tried sneaking in. My bath had been filled with my grand plans of the conversation we would have had, since no visions of our conversation had shown themselves. The excitement had been akin to Christmas, and now, with him here being stubbornly close-mouthed, I saw why nothing ever appeared.

I'm sure the petulance oozed in my thoughts, my voice would have been dripping with it if I dared to speak aloud. _I can't believe you're doing this to me…you __**knew**__ I would have wanted to talk to you when you got back._ Eighty-something year old vampires didn't stomp their feet and run off to their rooms, but for one crazy moment, I actually contemplated it. Rosalie was the definition of overindulged, but I would have to admit I was rarely denied anything. He raised an eyebrow, daring me to react in a way that would draw attention to the two of us. His face, tugged and pulled in a battle between exhilaration and self-loathing, softened slightly in amusement at my considered fit. The rational part of my mind told me to get used to his "struggle" face; it wasn't going anywhere soon. _After everything I did for you Edward, I'm...I'm crushed._ I didn't even bother with the pout. It just didn't get me anywhere with anyone these days.

It was my perceived betrayal, no doubt. We had always shared everything; he has enjoyed all the privileges that my ability brought since we had met. He knew now that I had known she would whisper his name and that he would be effectively intrigued. It was no coup de foudre though; Edward was too ratiocinative for love at first sight. He would tumble his thoughts over and over through his analytical sieve until all emotion was carefully separated from reason. It wouldn't matter that he may love this girl; what would matter was if he felt himself worthy of the contentment that love brings. Knowing Edward, he would find a way to twist this around and make it about Bella.

Jasper came from his office and looped an arm around my shoulder, undoubtedly feeling my acute disappointment. I raised my head and threw him a bright smile he surely saw right through. Ducking from under his arm, I slid off the banister and walked down the stairs, past my traitorous brother, to the car. I hurt. I don't know why he had chosen not to confide in me, but now I must have become as untrustworthy as my own ability. The Volvo was already filled with Rosalie's happy chatter. Emmett had taken her for the entire day to an auto show in Seattle and loaded her mind with ideas and the BMW with parts. She sat in the front, leaving the back seat for Jasper, Emmett, and me. They piled in behind me, and aside from Rosalie, we sat lost in our own thoughts.

"Alice, I found the new engine I want." Emmett poked a finger into my side yanking me from my self-indulgent pity. "I've ordered it already. Once it gets here Rosalie should be able to drop it in. Hands off my baby after this, eh? Truce?"

The wicked gleam in his honey-toned eyes contradicted the offer. I sighed and shook my head, in no mood for Emmett's teasing. The smile on his face faltered and his eyes jumped from mine to the back of Edward's head then to Jasper's tense jaw and closed eyes. He shook his own head and reached up to gently squeeze the back of my neck, then put his hand in his lap. I thanked him with a weak smile.

_Emmett, Edward. Emmett is comforting me. Why are you pushing me away?_

His eyes met mine in the mirror, and I was shocked at their hardness and intensity. I felt it then, the pull in the back of my head. The school parking lot wavered in, damp and puddled from the heavy morning mist. Edward walks by her side, a genuine smile warring with his typical scowl for position on his face. I hear it then, the reason for this vision, "Do you want a ride to Seattle?" I couldn't hold the scene any longer and it whispered away to nothing. Our eyes were still locked, his gaze softening somewhat with disappointment.

_You were hoping I would have her answer?_

His nod was barely there, a slight tilt only I would read. My heart soared. He had made the decision to ask her out on his own. His distance was a push for uninfluenced decision-making.

_I'm sorry I couldn't give you her answer. Will you walk me to class today?_

His eyes flashed to Jasper then back. The relief radiating from me had drawn Jasper's attention, and his hand lightly squeezed my leg. After all these years he could almost read my mind as well as Edward, and I smiled at his subtle encouragement.

_Wait for me, I'll see Jasper off to class then I'll meet you back at the car._

Edward parked, cut the ignition, and climbed out to wipe imaginary dust from the hood. The rest of us followed, albeit slower and with none of the anxiety. Jasper unfolded his long frame from the backseat and stood slouchy, half-smile on his face. Rosalie took one look at Edward, raised her eyes to the blaringly loud Chevy pulling into the lot, and bared her perfectly gleaming teeth in a snarl.

"I should have known you couldn't be trusted, Edward." Her voice was just loud enough to hear over the roar of the ancient truck.

He didn't drop his eyes from her glare, no longer intimidated by the decision that he had needed to make. I realized then, it wasn't Rosalie or Emmett that he had been afraid of, it was this tiny human girl and his own emotions. It may not be love yet, but his concern was now glaringly obvious. I could only imagine the thoughts running through that ridiculously logical mind. Oh the difficulty in maneuvering with the mind what can only be navigated by the heart. Without saying a word to Rosalie, Edward turned his eyes to Emmett. My bear of a brother smiled, then winked and slid his arm around his beauty-in-fury bride. Luckily for Emmett, Rose hadn't seen the wink and she allowed herself to be led away. Her parting jab floated low and hazy through the morning mist.

"I'm done with you, Edward. You'll see what a bad idea she is." There was a thread of hurt twisting through Rosalie's angry muttering, "I don't care what you've seen either, Alice. It could all change in a blink."

Emmett pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, then dropped his head to whisper in her ear. She shook her head before settling herself closer against him and resting her cheek against his shoulder. Jasper was right; Edward and Rose were more alike than either would ever acknowledge. Neither would ever admit weakness, and from her tone and Jasper's saddened eyes, Rosalie was hurting here. Only Emmett ever saw that side of her; she was very careful to keep the rest of us on the periphery of her turreted heart. Both Rosalie and Edward saw emotions as potential liabilities, and they could be frustratingly stoic as they crumbled inside their walled castles.

Edward's fingers were pressed into the bridge of his nose, his eyes screwed tightly closed.

_Bonne chance, mon frère. _

He opened his eyes and offered us a weak smile. "Stereo again, you two…Alice I'm beginning to think you're doing it on purpose."

I turned to Jasper and punched him lightly on the arm. "Why is it that you'll speak French to Edward, but not to me?" I pulled him toward the building to give Edward a bit of precious privacy.

Jasper's hand tightened on mine, and he grinned. "I wished him good luck in Spanish, not French. You always tell me my accent is atrocious."

I rolled my eyes. "Since when do you think with an accent?"

"Touché, cherie." We walked in typical companionable silence, lost in our own thoughts. The images flitted and flashed, then suddenly centered. The elusive keyhole vision returned, but this time the obstructed view was cleared. The now-familiar tune floated around an Edward I'd only seen a few times in our half-century together. He radiated happiness as he softly swayed with the bridge of the song, and then I saw he wasn't alone. Bella sat next to him on the bench, eyes shining and a smile ghosting her lips, as the melody waxed and waned around them. I felt the now-familiar jumble of emotions tumble into my fluttering stomach. _She is coming to the house!_ The jumble untangled enough to let fly a spark of jealously to singe the edges of the happy scene. _Not my song..._ A deluge of disappointment doused the flicker of resentment and tried to pull myself from the vision before the snarl of confusion got any worse. I felt Jasper's hand cupping the back of my head and I leaned into his palm. His fingers lightly flexed, the soothing strokes belied the questions in his eyes.

"Jazz, I don't want-" I started, shame flooded in to extinguish the spark. His fingers stilled and tightened, and he pulled me close. I felt the green-tinged disgrace seemingly slip from me, surely leaving oily puddles along the damp asphalt. Guilt would have surfaced next had Jasper not been censoring my emotions. I would have welcomed the shame. It was far more honorable than jealousy. Especially when, for some inexplicable reason, what I wanted more than anything was what made me jealous.

"You won't be losing him, you know." His voice was low as he turned to face me. He took both of my hands in his and squeezed gently. "I haven't lost _you_, have I?" My eyes flashed to his, and, before I could stop myself, I frowned.

He had intended comfort, but there was guilt instead. I struggled with the frown and my emotional mis-cue but his eyes were already confused. I rose up on my toes and kissed him lightly.

"I have to go back Jazz…I'll meet you after class?" I made my tone light and forced the lingering remorse into the pit of my stomach, focusing instead on our clasped hands. The unease drifted away. When I raised my head again, Jasper smiled slightly.

"Go on. He'll be waiting and you two don't have much time."

I nodded and turned back towards the car. Walking as quickly as I could, I made my way to the English wing of the building. Edward stood, his face again a battlefield for conflicting emotions: agitation had the high ground, but elation was flanking.

_How did it go?_

"I shouldn't be doing this, Alice." He took my books as I approached and we turned slowly towards the doors.

I rolled my eyes. "Did she say yes?"

He huffed, tone incredulous and nervous at the same time. "Yes, she did, after accusing me of having a personality disorder." He stopped abruptly and put his hand on my arm. "I don't think I can do this. I could kill her so easily. Part of me _wants_ to kill her and get myself out of this hell on earth. The thirst, Alice, you can't possibly understand it…Alice?"

I'd stopped listening after yes. That was all I'd wanted to hear. My mind raced ahead, peeking into the dark and swirling corners of my mind. _Saturday, Saturday, Saturday…_The sun burst into my sight, its cloudy mantle cast aside. The forest had reclothed herself in her flower-sprinkled, spring-green finery. Edward's groan cut through the verdant, vernal delight and when I refocused I saw that his initial nervousness had exploded into full-blown panic.

"We're supposed to go to Seattle." His hand plowed up through his hair then returned to its familiar stress-induced nose pinch. "I can't take her to Seattle in that kind of weather."

_Uh_, s_o take her out at night? _I almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. First-date nerves: it was laughable how the gorgeous unregionally-sunny spring day could equal a vampire's waking nightmare. I could barely believe it; century-old Edward regressed into adolescent freak-out at the mention of a little solar appearance.

"I can't! The whole point of this excursion was that I told her I'd drive her to Seattle so she wouldn't have to drive her truck. She wants to go to a bigger bookstore or…" He mumbled on, something about wasting gas, and having a few errands to run himself. Bored, I went looking again, but all my efforts were rewarded with another glimpse of spring in Forks. We were cut short by the bell.

"Oh no!" I snagged my books from Edward's hands. "This is the second time this week. Banner is going to kill me. I'll see you after fourth."

I practically sprinted to Bio, leaving Edward open-mouthed and tardy. He could fend for himself.

_If you are listening, it was for your own good. Your drama was beginning to annoy me._

I switched my thoughts to my own situation. _What excuse this time?_ As I pushed through the door, I was briefly considering a forged note when the smell hit me.

Oh God it was exquisite. _Oh no… oh no ohno_.

My mouth flooded with anticipation, and the battle for my brain began.

_Deep breath and hold it, Alice, stay still._

I pulled Carlisle's advice to the forefront of my mind in an attempt to bind the feral desire with his calm authority. My eyes darted around the room, instinct working out a kill-plan while reason kept me frozen in the doorway.

"Glad to see you could make it, Alice." Mr. Banner raised his eyes just long enough to see who had so rudely interrupted. "Take your seat and we can discuss your tardiness after class." He straightened and held up a white card with four circles and a tiny razor.

I hadn't heard a word that tumbled out of Lunch's mouth; it took all of my focus not to create a screaming appetizer from the seated snacks.

"After you pierce your finger with the lancet, be sure to place it immediately into the safety receptacle so no one acciden…" When Banner realized I hadn't moved, he stopped his lecture on razor etiquette long enough to give my stationery form a thorough once-over. "The sight of blood makes you faint, Cullen?"

_Cullen. I'm a Cullen._ It was a counter-trigger, a safe word. Like the shock of freezing water to warm flesh, it pulled me from blood madness and the classroom from impending doom. In spite of my internal struggles, a giggle threatened to surface at his words.

_Oh Mr. Banner, if you only know what the sight of blood did to me, you wouldn't be so smug._

I nodded slightly and forced my tensed muscles to relax, leaning into a slump against the doorframe.

"Down to the nurse with you then. Can you make it by yourself?" He walked towards me with a prewritten pass and I nodded again. I pulled the yellow slip of paper from his hand with fingers that convincingly trembled, albeit with restraint and not anxiety. I offered him a weak smile that I knew didn't match the predatory gleam in my downcast eyes, and turned to stagger slightly down the hall. The latch clicked as he returned his attention to the class, the drone of his instructions on proper application of blood to the typing card rang in my ears. I took a test breath, then a full, nose-clearing gasp and headed for the other end of the building.

I dug through my bag and found a pad of blank hall passes identical to the one I had been given, minus the written destination and scribbled signature. I needed to get notes to everyone else, especially Edward. The others had already taken bio, so they would just need to avoid the bio rooms in the science wing. For Edward, this could be a catastrophe of epic proportions.

I wrote out four passes, and then stashed my bag in Rose's locker. I didn't have time to cross campus to my own. I made my way to the Language Arts wing and dropped off the notes for Rose and Emmett, Edward's AP American history class was second. I knocked on the door to Murphy's chamber of tortures and waited, rocking anxiously from side to side, as his monotone voice grew louder at his approach. The door swung open and he stood silent, annoyed eyebrows raised in question.

"I have a note for Edward, Sir. May I speak with him?" Internally I rolled my eyes, but externally I toed in my left foot and tugged, mock-nervous, on an errant spike of hair above my ear.

"He's presently occupied, Miss Cullen. I'll deliver your message." And before I could respond, the door shut in my face.

_Ooo, it is NOT the morning to mess with Alice Cullen. _I yelled the next thought, hoping that Edward had seen me and was listening now._ Blood typing in bio today, I'm going to go get Jasper. See you at the car._

I turned on my heel and headed out the side door shortcut to the math corridor. _Have to turn on the charm here, girl. I'd like a little face time._ The click of my shoes echoed in the institutional hallway, drawing the attention and dismissal of several hall-sequestered students. Tyler Crowley smiled at me hesitantly, and against my better judgment, I winked at him. The smile turned into a wolfy grin as he elbowed the nameless boy next to him and nodded toward me. I sighed. _Gotta nip this in the bud. Bad idea, being so friendly._ I stopped in front of Crowley's extended legs and faced him. The goofy grin lingered and he leaned forward, eager to captivate me with whatever teenaged, hormonal drivel that sloshed between his oversized ears.

"You look, um, really pretty today, uh, Alice." The phrase was naturally punctuated by his cracking voice and ducking head.

I had two options and little time to execute. I could string this along _à la Rosalie_ or end it now with a step and a smile. Tyler made my mind up for me when he turned his foot to rub down my calf. I raised my eyebrow and his upturned mouth stretched to become almost cartoonish in its audacity. Before either he or his companion could react I dropped into a crouch so we were face to face, and I let any tolerance for him drain from my eyes as I returned his ogling stare. I matched his grin with one of my own. _The better to eat you with, my dear._

"Jasper wouldn't like you touching me."

It came out a purr, a threat incognito. I watched the wheels in his mind lurch and grind, their attempt at processing almost painful to behold. _Fight or flight, fight or flight_, I could see the banner marching across his eyes like the ticker at the bottom of Jasper's beloved all-news channels. The vision descended without my request: he wisely will choose flight, and drag his comrade along for the dash. I see that they will both mention to their fellow flock of sheep that Crowley had the balls to hit on Alice Cullen, and that she had hidden behind the threat of her monster boyfriend. What will not be mentioned is the strange wet patch on both boys' pants. I straightened after Tyler graced me with his absence and continued along my way to Jazz's class.

The towering man who answered my knock wasn't the normal Calculus teacher. Lady luck was on my side as I handed him the pass and he gazed at it perfunctorily before sending out Jasper out with all of his books. I shook my head slightly at his worried, questioning look, as I led him out the back doors toward the parking lot.

"What are we doing?" His voice held a note of concern despite both of our calm and collected exteriors.

"Well, initially I had intended on just leaving you a note, but when that sub let you leave I figured it was time to christen Edward's car." I smiled wryly as I pushed him against the Volvo. "I think this car is as pure and unsullied as its owner."

"You pulled me out of class so that we could have sex in Edward's car?" Jasper pursed his lips around his skeptical tone.

The giggle came before I could stop it, and I wrapped my arms around his waist to bury my face and laughter into his stomach. His arms came up slowly to rest on my shoulders, confusion thick as mud around us.

"I'm sorry Jazz, I couldn't resist." Disappointment swirled in to thin the confusion. "It's blood typing day in bio, and I had to get word out to everyone. No one else could get out of class."

As I finished my sentence I caught a glimpse of Edward at a cafeteria table alone. He waits, nervously, eyes roving over the milling students in the lunch line. The vision flickered out as quickly as it had come.

"Well, I had assumed we were all going to go home, but I just saw Edward sitting in the cafeteria by himself at lunch today." Jasper's thumb brushed lightly over my scrunched brow, smoothing out the confusion.

"Do you think it's wise to leave him here, alone, on a day where the blood of his obsession will perfume the halls?" His fingers slid down my cheek, and his thumb caressed lightly along my jaw. I closed my eyes and turned into his hand.

"No," I sighed, "Not wise at all, but neither is all of us staying and potentially annihilating an entire high school."

"We can all skip after lunch. I don't have a science class until last period, Emmett's is right before mine, and I think Rosalie will handle herself just fine," I could see him weighing the options, "He'll only listen to you though, Lis. If any of the rest of us suggests that he may, perhaps, lose control, he would stay to spite us."

I grinned. It was true. Edward might have been one hundred-something years old, but sometimes his illogical adolescent brain kicked out a teenaged reaction. We moved to the passenger side of the Volvo and crawled in to ride out the remainder of first period in the relative quiet of the car. I curled myself in Jasper's lap and mulled over Edward's date. He and I were supposed to go hunting that weekend, and he had forgotten. Jealously bubbled up before I could cloak it with another emotion. Jasper's arms tightened around me, and he kissed the top of my head.

"What's going on in that purty little head, darlin'?" He exaggerated the drawl to pull a smile from my frowning lips. I smiled, but more out of habit than happiness. "I think we need to talk this out. I don't like seeing you unhappy, plus you're making the inside of this car feel like Easter mass at a Catholic church."

I turned to him, perplexed.

"Actually, you've got enough guilt to start your _own_ religion, Lis. What's going on?" His arms shifted to pull me closer. I remembered his words from just an hour ago. _I haven't lost you, have I?_ Was the question merely for my comfort, or was it double-edged?

"What you said to me earlier, in the parking lot, was that a question to me, or for me?" My middle twisted in anticipation as time stopped. He stroked my arm reflexively, but for once, it wasn't soothing.

"If I had asked that question fifty years ago, it would have been _to_ you." His response was solemn and distant, as if he had to focus to remember. "My hesitation in joining the Cullens wasn't because of their lifestyle."

The pause lasted a lifetime. Never…I had _never_ considered any other reasons for his initial reluctance except that his eating habits were too ingrained to quit . Again, I was shocked and saddened by my ignorance. First, my assumptions about his reasons for wanting Edward and Bella apart, and now this.

"Jasper, there will never be anyone else for me but you-" He surely had to know. "There has never _been_ anyone else but you." I reached into my mind for that first image, my raison d'être. I'd known immediately that we would be together forever.

"I know, darlin', but I wasn't always so confident in _my_ ability to keep you." He leaned forward and nuzzled his face into my neck. "You were like nothing I had ever experienced. I met you at the lowest point in my life, and I couldn't imagine why a beautiful someone with your joie de vivre would have wanted to be with someone as conflicted as I had been," He pressed his lips against my neck, sending shivers down my spine, "You talked about them constantly. Your excitement was contagious, but it was yours. I fought hard to avoid drowning you in my fear and insecurity; I didn't want to influence your decisions with my emotions."

"Wh-why didn't you ever tell me this? I would never have suggested we come if I had known you were so upset by it." I pulled away and shifted sideways to face him. "Why is this all coming out now?"

"Alice, love , you haven't been you. Your visions have become uncontrollable and incapacitating. You've barely touched your sketchbook with Je Crée; when you were doing C.J., I could barely pry it out of your fingers. And well, you've been hiding…from everyone. We've all noticed that you are hiding, just not what you are hiding. It puts Rosalie on edge, brings Emmett down, and frustrates Edward and myself to no end."

I sat in shocked silence attempting to digest one surprise after another. It was unsettling. Jasper sighed and pulled me closer, undoubtedly feeling my uncertainty and distress.

"I just wanted to tell you, wee one, that I think it's perfectly acceptable to be jealous. You've been one of the centers of his universe for half a century. I thought that by telling you that I had felt, and occasionally _still_ feel, jealous of the relationship that the two of you have, that you would see that your reaction was normal."

I heard the bell ring and the milling herd of the adolescent Forks population lowed and brayed in the hallways behind us.

_I've got them all worrying, Jasper feels that he has to confess envy to make me feel better, and I still can't focus on anything but my own wants._

"Enough feeling guilty. Edward is going to need you now more than ever. I don't know why he's doing that though, his refusal to have her be one of us. It's not like she can know about us without joining, or the Volturi will for sure be on us. Have you seen anything new about her?"

The hesitation was habitual; I'd grown accustomed to censoring my comments. I knew that the idea of a potential relationship between Edward and Bella made Jasper uneasy, but that he trusted my sight. "I see a radiant Saturday afternoon, and since Edward offered to drive Bella to Seattle that day, he's in a bit of a fix. As far as specific Bella premonitions, none."

Second period had already started, and when I looked ahead I saw that there would be no chance of me talking my way out of another tardy today. Even Mrs. Cope was going to hold her ground against my charms. Jasper grumbled about missing a heated debate in his poli-sci class, but I was more than happy to get out of English. The charade was beginning to wear thin, but with my untrustworthy head, I couldn't risk immersing myself in what was to come. I was going to have to spend all my intentional seeking with Jasper or Edward. Maybe if Edward got a glance he might be able to tell me what was going on with the abyss.

We burned the rare hour alone with wandering hands and wayward kisses; there was no actual christening but at least the Volvo was indoctrinated. After straightening clothing and rushing off to third period class, I spent the next two hours brainstorming scenarios for Edward. Each were based on decisions I, personally, would make. I fervently hoped he hadn't been listening, or I was sure he would call the whole thing off. In spite of the blinding sunshine and botched plans, Saturday still hummed with significance. Something would work out, I was confident.

"So, made it out in the nick of time?" The whisper in my ear made me jump, and I would have elbowed Edward had he not jumped out of the way in anticipation. I stuck out my tongue and shoved my books into his arms. "I see that Crowley survived. He's pretty proud of himself, you know. It's a good thing Jasper can't read minds."

I smirked, and headed towards the cafeteria and our regular pre-lunch meeting place. "I saw you this morning, sitting by yourself at-" In that instant the vision returned, but Edward had company; the long mahogany tresses were a dead give-away. Exhilaration, like fire, shot through the scene melting it from my eyes. I felt Edward's hand tighten on my elbow, his body diverting the flood of students flowing around my stopped form.

"Don't you just love when people think they can just stop in the hallway?" Lauren Mallory sniffed as she walked by, hand in hand with Tyler Crowley's unremarkable hallway buddy. Edward stiffened, and stared daggers at her back. I would have bet that the poison running through that girl's head was twice as bitter as her words. There was no doubt that her hateful thoughts were directed towards me, because otherwise Edward wouldn't have bothered to spare her a glance, much less a killing glare. I ignored the remark and turned to face him.

"You can't stay. It's too dangerous. Plus…" I closed my eyes and turned my attentions toward lunch and Edward's latest surprise: Rosalie's anger is palpable and Jasper, tormented by her fury, grows frustrated at what he deems a lack of consideration on Edward's part. Emmett looks torn between soothing Rosalie, and walking over and grabbing Edward from his secluded lunch table.

"I'll just keep her there a moment. I just want to tell her that I won't be in biology," His eyes were scanning the cafeteria for the perfect table. My patience was pulled thin by his defensive justification then dismissal of my warning.

"You listen to me, Edward Cullen!" Carefully keeping my mind clear of any happy, hopeful thoughts concerning his contrarily-clandestine lunch with my, no, _our_ Bella, I focused on Jasper's tortured face. "Not here. You'll have another chance; we should leave now."

He shook his head. "I can't go now. I need to tell her why I won't be in biology. Just stay with me here for lunch and then I'll be ready to go. I'm still not confident in my control. Please, little sister? I need your eyes." Begging? How very un-Edwardian.

"Just go sit down. I need a few minutes to mentally prepare myself for the hell that will be our table." I stared at his retreating back and hurled a powerless threat. _You had better come back to our table once you've told her._ He made no sign of hearing me.

A quick flash of Jasper approaching, and I reached back to take his hand as he reached for mine. "Let's leave after lunch?" Jasper nodded, bracing himself for surging thirst. Through the line, past the cashier, and into the cacophony of blood and voices our fingertips touched. I tried to push any strength I had through the contact to ease the burn that undoubtedly ignited at the off-limits buffet laid-out before us. Rosalie's furious gasp and Jasper's tightened grip confirmed Edward's seating choice.

"What is he doing?!" Rosalie's hiss carried easily over the gossip and backstabbing of our so-called peers.

_You can hear her. I know it. I'm going to give you five minutes once you get her to sit down. After that I'm done running damage control._ "He thinks that maybe she's suspicious of his frequent absences, and wanted to tell her himself that he wouldn't be in Biology today." The lie slid off my tongue with ease, thickening my tension with oily unpleasantness. "He said he'd be right back over."

I finished with gritted teeth and a pointed glare. Again, no acknowledgement. I fought against my softening heart as I saw his foot nervously tapping as he scanned the crowd with both eyes and nose. I watched as relief transformed his face as she hesitantly entered the room. Her disappointment was obvious as she glanced, surreptitiously, at the empty spot at our table. I dropped my face to hide the smile I couldn't stop.

I withdrew into my head, desperate for Saturday to clarify. Sun and green streaming, but still nothing. I pushed deeper until the ominous inky blackness forced me to retreat. Half of our hour had passed, and Edward still hadn't returned from his sequestered table.

The future was a great place to hide from the present, and my attempt at discretion was soon trumped by impatience and curiosity. No one else was hiding the fact that they were eavesdropping. I hope Edward appreciated my efforts.

"Aren't you hungry?" Edward's question was dull and safe, his mind obviously somewhere else.

"No, you?" Her voice held a hint of concern.

Emmett snorted with aborted laughter and clapped Jasper on the back. Rosalie shared her glower equally among us. There was no way I was going to hang around for this entire lunch hour.

"No, I'm not hungry." Edward's tone was maddening, the line obviously for Jasper and Emmett's amusement. Bella would have had to have been a simpleton to have missed it. _Don't blow it._ I tried to be loud, so I would carry over Rosalie's certain threats.

"Alice…" _Oh that infernal hissing_, _Rose._ "I'm going to go over there and drag him-"

I stood up and grabbed Jasper's hand.

"We're leaving now. See you two later." I could feel Rosalie's eyes on us as we walked out of the overwhelmingly sanguine air. The run home would clear my mind, plus Jazz and I needed some alone time.

_We're going, Edward. I can't listen to Rosalie any longer. Don't taunt fate anymore than you already have, ok?_

Chaos and conflict still reigned in my head and heart. I wanted so much. Did I want for me or for Edward? Did I want what was best for Bella? The recent, unexpected twists and turns that my life and emotions have taken, left an unprotected patch on my soul. An unwelcome triumvirate had been looking for a new stomping ground, and they quickly set up camp in my heart. Envy. Greed. Guilt.

Where was my redemption?


	20. Coveted

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**AN: I have nothing. Just fail. Hopefully this makes up for it, plus I've actually started the next chap already. **

**MUCHO GRACIAS to Gustariana for the Spanish. I par-lay nada espag-nol. Go read her stories. She pwns! Also uber-thanks to Ava Sinclair for the beta! Tnuccio is on vacy in Mouseworld, and I didn't want to pester her while she's relaxin with the fam.**

**To all of you who have continued to read, review, rec, add as favorite, alert, and/or PM me, THANK YOU. I'd burned myself out a bit with the one-shots, but your continued support helped me find Alice again. ********I chose not to translate outright the Spanish parts in this chapter because they are pretty vulgar and disrespectful. If you're dying to know the conversation either plug into a translator, find a Spanish speaker, or PM me. DO NOT ASK YOUR SPANISH TEACHER IN SCHOOL. YOU WILL GET IN TROUBLE!**

PS: Sorry for the double alert. I realized I missed several editing marks, and left out section breaks. DUH ME.

Coveted

"Yes, Edward, I'd be perfectly willing to take that heap of rust back to her house," I muttered low enough that Jasper looked at me questioningly.

We'd left school in a hurry, racing through forest and field to the relative security of the deep wood. Jasper had downed several deer, and I'd taken one of my own, but more out of companionship than thirst. From there we'd gone home to clean up, and then took Rosalie's car to Port Angeles to talk to the three boutique owners who had agreed to stock my line. Starting the lines was my favorite part of designing. I loved the interaction with owners who were as passionate about their stores as I was about my clothing. They would inspect each piece by hand, checking each stitch and hem for quality. Each inspection and interview was like an audition and for a brief moment I could pretend I was human again. My stomach would flutter and flip, and although I'd seen that they would agree to sell anything I showed them, there was always a chance they could change their minds.

The day had taken a positive spin until this newest little event.

"What are you mumbling about, darlin'?"

"He didn't skip school, Jazz; he decided to stay in his car in the parking lot. Who would have guessed that Bella has blood issues and he had to play knight in sparkly armor? He's driving her home right now, and is going to tell her _I'll_ bring her truck to her house."

It was easy sounding indignant if I focused on having to push that wretched hunk of metal without being seen. I needed indignant too, because the other part of my mind was busy rewinding and replaying the image I had of the two of them in the Volvo, rain streaming down the windows with only Bella's side fogged. _I wonder if she noticed._ My mind jumped, back and forth. Oh the planning this would entail.

"We have to get back to school. Rosalie and Emmett didn't leave either, and Edward is going to give me the key to Bella's truck when he comes to pick them up. You know Rosalie would be furious if she had to run home in this rain," I stepped into my favorite pair of canary-yellow Fendi rain boots and grabbed an overcoat from my own collection.

"Going to test a little of the merchandise?" Jasper's amused grin held me still for a moment. He was so much more at ease now that we'd talked about Bella and the jealousy and guilt I had been trying to hide. I was nervous about talking with Edward, but it had to be done.

"Of course! I couldn't offer it in good conscience if I didn't." I returned Jasper's smile, but then stopped dead seeing my reflection in the mirror behind him.

"I can't believe you were just going to let me leave like this." I muttered, attempting to tame several errant strands of hair, "You're supposed to look out for me you know."

Jasper swallowed his grin, but his eyes still crinkled at the corners as he pushed away from the wall and walked behind me, wrapping one arm around my waist then leaning down to whisper unnecessarily in my ear.

"It wouldn't be fair to let Edward walk around alone in his own personal hairicaine." He slid the fingers of his free hand up through my hair, pulling the smoothed style on end. "Plus I like the chaos, it suits you."

This was why I loved him: he knew exactly what to say and when to say it. Living with Rosalie could wear on a girl, especially a small, dark one who didn't have the satisfaction of knowing she was gorgeous before the change.

"Now go on." I leaned back and accepted the kiss he dropped on the top of my head, "You had better get back there before he does. You know if he sees Rose and Emmett without you, he'll dig himself a bigger hole by leaving them there."

His words stirred up a blurry image of a seething, soggy Rosalie sitting on Edward's couch, waiting. I slipped from under his arms, pulling on the overcoat as paused in the doorway. "I'm going to take Rose's car. Give me her keys."

"Why do you need to take Rose's car, Lis?" The crinkles deepened as an eyebrow raised. " You know what I think? I think you're looking to keep Rosalie all fired up so when you meddle in this more, Edward will be too occupied with Rose to pay much attention to you."

I snatched the flash of silver out of the air as Jasper threw me my cell phone instead of the requested keys. "Go, run to school, then call me and I'll pick you up from her house."

"Edward's not going to drive Emmett and Rose home,. Rose is, in her car that I bring." I rattled off the fib with my eyes closed, and held out my hand for the keys. Jasper never questioned an eyes-closed request. The only member of this family stubborn enough to bet against me was Edward. Really though, it didn't take a psychic to see that Rosalie would _much_ rather drive herself home than stew in the Volvo.

"Anything else in that little head of yours, darlin?" His voice slipped so deep into West Texas that I shivered. I kept my eyes closed and actually focused, the quiet rumble of the Ducati and the effortless lean into the tight mountain turns as I pressed my cheek against the smooth leather on his back. His smile matched my own, sultry and knowing.

"I'll meet you later, apparently." I blew him a kiss as I walked out the door.

I pulled up to school just ahead of Edward. The bell hadn't rung yet, so I zipped the M3 into Edward's vacated spot and waited for the flash of silver in this dreary grey day. The rain continued in earnest, and I rested my head against the window and traced the crystalline trails of water as they snaked down the glass. He'd be here soon, and when he saw Rosalie's car in the lot, I'm sure he would park by Bella's truck.

"Might as well meet him there." Apparently now I felt it necessary to explain my every move to inanimate objects. Maybe I was losing my mind. I left the keys in the ignition for Rose; Forks was small and this car was just way too flashy to be stolen without _someone_ seeing who did it. After scribbling a quick note to Emmett letting him know Edward would be taking me home, I slipped out of the car into the cascading rain.

_I can't imagine what Forks ever did to make you cry so._ It was a fleeting thought thrown at the weeping sky from the relatively dry spot under my umbrella. It was just so damp and gloomy; was it even possible for vampires to suffer from seasonal affective disorder? The umbrella spun in time with my nonsensical thoughts distracting me enough that I bumped, rather ungracefully, into the rusted bumper of Bella's decrepit truck.

"Dammit!" Rust was such a pain to get out of clothing, and I had a good-sized spot on my hip now. _She won't notice one more dent in this heap._ I pulled my hand back to leave my own mark on the truck but was stopped by Edward's unamused scowl flashing in front of my eyes. _Fine, fine._ I walked up to peek into driver's side window. The keys hung in the ignition, surely because this truck was just as remarkable as Rosalie's car. Anyone crazy enough to steal this aging eyesore would be caught immediately.

I heard the hum of the Volvo's engine before the car arrived in my peripheral vision. I yanked the door open, the hinges protesting against the abrupt movement. The import didn't move. Hopping up into the seat and pulling the door shut behind me, I cranked the key in the ignition and the engine jumped to life with a coughing roar. The Volvo revved behind the bed of the truck but stayed still. _What do you want? _ His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, and the two of us at our meeting place by the river flashed in my mind. He raised an eyebrow, and I nodded with a roll of my eyes. _Only if you will give me details. I'm tired of working for free, Edward._ The car sped off before I saw his response.

Thank goodness Forks was a small town. Everyone knew where everyone else lived, and the Chief of Police was no exception. Bella's house was a little Cape Cod built before the trend became building houses one on top of another. There was a decent amount of yard between her house and those of her neighbors', and dense forest ran along the backs of the cut lawns. I cut the engine at the beginning of the street, and once I saw no one would notice an 85 pound girl pushing a one-ton truck, I shoved it into its parking space on the side of the road in front of her house. No doubt she'd wonder how it got there without her knowing. There was nothing like a little intrigue to keep the mystery alive. The Volvo purred up beside me and I plopped my soaking wet form into the front seat.

"Thanks for bringing Rosalie's car up to school."

"No thanks needed, I'll cash in for a favor eventually. You're in quite deep, brother of mine."

Silence. I let my mind go blank since Edward usually only stopped talking to search out the correct direction in which to angle conversation. He was going to have to do this the normal way.

"I'm sorry Alice…" I cut him off before he could continue.

"No, stop. You're not sorry about what you did, you're sorry that I'm angry and irritated. You knew staying at school could have potentially been a giant disaster, and you did it anyway. You only apologize for accidents, Edward. Just man up to the fact that I'm pissed and that you are going to have to deal with it."

More silence. More searching. I mentally recited the Act of Contrition in Latin just to keep him out of my head and in his own.

"You're right." _Damn straight I am._ "I didn't care how any of you felt about me meeting her at lunch." He pulled to the side of the road and turned his body to face mine. "But I just had to do it, Alice. I had to. I don't know what drove me to behave like that. I've been mulling over it for the last 2 hours."

"Look Romeo, that uncontrollable drive to do crazy things not recommended by your siblings and parents, that's called LOVE. You're in love with Isabella Swan, Edward. Once you admit that to yourself you might be able to get a little control over yourself." The silence pounded in my ears, broken only by Edward's measured breath.

"I'm not in love with her Alice. She confuses me. The fact that I can't read her mind intrigues me. It's simply curiosity. I've never met someone whose every move I didn't know the same time they did. Do you know how dull that gets?"

"Again, stop right there. You can't even begin to comprehend dull. I see things before they happen, remember? I live déjà vu. That would be my superhero name if I had one, or maybe Cassandra, since you don't believe me half the time. Knock off this woe-is-me attitude. Believe what you want Edward, but it's love. Come to me when you're ready to admit it so I can say I told you so."

He shook his head and shoved the car into gear; gravel flew from the spinning tires as he pushed the accelerator to the floor. The Volvo jumped onto the road, squealing almost as if in pain as it fishtailed towards home. I waited, switching from Latin to French and knowing full well he understood every word I chanted in my head. _Tu l'aimes! Tu l'aimes!_

"Enough Alice, or you can walk. I do _not_ love her."

"Get out of my head and you wouldn't have to defend your actions."

He growled, and I didn't need Jasper in the car to tell that he was actually beginning to get angry. _Good! _I was done with the self-righteous denials, and being caught up in his games, and feeling like I was the one he put in charge of cleaning up his messes.

"Why then, Edward? Why me?" It was a demand that was thrown with all of the force of my pent up frustrations and stifled anger. I could see his jaw clench as I continued. "Esme could have come and picked you up. She could have taken your car home and you could have brought Bella her truck-"

"Because I've seen the way you look at her, Alice. I've never seen you covet something as much as you do that girl's humanity."

If my heart had been beating at that moment it would have stopped still. He slowed the car to a standstill at the entrance of the driveway and sighed, resting his forehead against the steering wheel. "I thought that maybe you'd like to be friends with her at least."

"I… I-" I sputtered around the burning in my chest. "I don't need _your_ help making _friends_, Edward. I'm not the one with the personality disorder! I told you she will either be one of us, or she'll be dead, and _I_ want her to be one of us."

The flare of indignation couldn't burn away the hurt., I refused to break the silence that now stood between us. _I can't believe you said that to me Edward._ Before he could respond I was out the door, running for the comfort of Jasper's arms.

* * *

Even though his arms were wrapped around me, I could feel the tension singing along his muscles. I had managed to stop the threatening sobs, but Jasper saw through my shaky composure. The only thing between Edward and dismemberment was me, and my hold was tenuous. Jasper would forgive Edward his infatuation with Bella, Rosalie's cattiness, Emmett's incessant teasing, but _never _my pain. The fact that it was obviously Edward at the root of it was enough for Jasper to justify lex talionis. It was only my protests that kept him here with me, instead of pounding Edward into the ground.

Every time I closed my eyes, I could see Edward pacing around our rock. He'd stay until I showed up to talk, the stubborn fool that he was. Although his comments hurt, they were more truthful than I would have liked to admit. She was important to me too, almost as important as she was to Edward, just for different reasons. He should have had more tact, but he said nothing untrue. I hated being unable to stay angry with him for long. I sighed and moved to pull away, but Jasper's arms tightened around me holding be firmly in his lap.

"He's not getting another chance to hurt you, Lis."

"Honestly Jazz, it's not like we've never had disagreements before. He was out of line, and he knew it. I'm sure he would have taken it back if he could have. He just wants this so bad and he doesn't know how to get it."

"What did he say to you?"

"Don't worry about it. I can take care of it myself. He regretted it the minute it left his lips. We needed to step away from each other for awhile, so that's why I came here."

He didn't believe it for a moment, and I could almost feel him testing the air around me. I closed my eyes and leaned back against his chest, willing the hurt away.

"That's bullshit, Alice. I haven't felt you that upset in a while, at least not at something someone had said to you. You're not talking to him until I talk to him first."

To argue was useless, so I shrugged in resignation. "I'm going with you, Jasper Hampton Whitlock. You will not hurt him, hear?" The threat left my lips without thought, the vowels lengthened and the tone was nothing Forks, or any northern city for that matter. _What?!_ I gasped and I clapped my hand over my mouth.

"Alice?" Jasper's voice was tentative.

My mind raced, all thoughts of Edward and Bella cast aside. South, that was southern. I'm from somewhere in the south! My body started to tremble, and tendrils of inky blackness curled around the edges of my sight.

"NO! Not now!" I launched myself away from Jasper and shook my head to clear the vision. "Not now, I can't lose this all now."

"Did you hear that?" I whipped myself around to face him. "That's never happened before. It's southern; I'm southern. I have an accent…sometimes." I stopped when I heard how ridiculous it sounded.

He nodded slowly, and spoke very carefully as if he thought about each individual word before he said it. "I heard, darlin', and I can tell you that's not Texas in your voice. I can't tell you what it is though; not enough to work with."

He got up carefully, his eyes intent on mine. "What did you see right after, Lis? It would be good to know what might have triggered such an event."

"Nothing. I stuffed it before I saw anything. I didn't want to forget what I'd just heard." I had a pretty good idea what had been coming, but that was best dealt with later.

"I think there's more than the future rolling around in that mind of yours. I wish I knew how to get it." His hand cupped my face, thumb brushing across my temple. The strokes, like his voice, were heavy with regret. I relaxed for a moment and turned my face into his hand to press a kiss against his palm. For the moment that I accepted his comfort, it was easy to breathe, easy to think. My mind didn't jump from moment to moment. I was now, not soon, and it was so easy I almost succumbed to the temptation to forget everything that I'd seen about Bella. Forget Edward's hurtful accusation, Rosalie's righteous anger, and Emmett's surprising concern. With only a word from me, Jasper would leave them all because I was his life; I was all he needed. And then there was me, seeking happiness in a human girl. It was shameful, really.

_Human._ And again she was there in my mind, turning my thoughts to where Edward paced, waiting for me to reassure him.

"Jazz. I have to go talk to him. He didn't mean to say what he did. He's probably tearing himself up over-"

"Well he should be, if not I'll help him along. Why insult your biggest supporter? I'm talking to him before you do. I've let you handle things long enough, he needs to know that my wife will be respected, or I will intercede."

The nineteenth century Texan in him took over, and I stepped aside letting him lead the way. If he got this out of his system now, there would be far less tension between the three of us afterwards. Plus, there was nothing like chivalry to make a man forget the subject at hand. I turned my mind to Bella and Edward and tucked away the little southern slip for another time.

I stopped a step behind Jasper thanks to a vision warning me of his sudden halt. Mist blew in off the river, and the fog that surrounded the towering boulder lent it a mysterious air. Edward leaned against the stone and if it weren't for his set jaw and tense posture, I would have called his stance rather cavalier.

Stepping past Jasper's still form, I walked out into the clearing. Edward stared over my head into the tree line and nodded, the muscle in his jaw ticking. He held out his hand to me, but still didn't meet my eyes, the other hand pushed up through his hair.

"I understand, and it won't be necessary." He just barely kept the edge of irritation out of his voice, dropping his gaze just quick enough to offer me an honestly apologetic smile. Jasper would not be brushed off, however, and Edward's brow furrowed at an unsaid comment.

"Alice," His eyes dropped to mine but he raised his voice slightly, obviously speaking to Jasper, "Jasper believes I have dishonored you in my comments earlier in the car. I agree. I am truly sorry, and I should have kept my head. It won't happen again."

"Thank you for the escort, Jazz." I squeezed Edward's hand as I turned and waved towards the shadows where Jasper stood. I could still feel him behind me, glaring balefully at Edward. Emotions were harder to fake than thoughts, and Edward still had guilt pouring off of him. I closed my eyes and smiled softly, projecting as much trust and love into the space around me. _You had best feel more regret than guilt if you want him to go. _Another moment passed and I heard a twig snap in the distance. Edward and I stood silent for a moment, the atypical awkwardness a thin barrier between us. He spoke first.

"I never should have said that. I don't know why I said it. I didn-, I mean, I don't want to hurt you. You're really all I have in this right now. I know you want to be friends with her, Alice, and I thought you'd enjoy helping out."

Suddenly fatigue set in, unusual for our kind, but the recent simmering emotions left me feeling drained. Apologies, especially those glossing over the real issue, were unwelcome and he needed to know it. I was done playing games.

"You aren't thinking of me, Edward, you're thinking of you. But that's ok, you should be thinking about you. I'm just feeling manipulated here. You know I want a relationship with her too, and you're taking advantage of my feelings. Just be upfront with me from now on, ok?"

As the words left my lips I felt a little tinge of guilt. The two of us rarely had secrets before Bella, but now our relationship was built on hiding places and distractions.

Edward pursed his lips at my request, then blew out a whistle of air. He was going to ask me for another favor, I closed my eyes and waited until he decided how to ask.

The flash of Emmett and Edward alone in the Jeep heading north to Goat Rocks was my reward. He intended on spending the weekend, glutting himself on puma and bear, so he could spend more time with Bella at school.

"You want me to keep an eye on her this weekend." I opened my eyes and caught his pleading gaze. "I don't approve of this stalker-mantle you've put upon yourself. It's unhealthy and abnormal. Humans don't sit outside of their love-interest's window at night watching them sleep."

"Enough of the L word, Alice. I'm serious." He bent his knees and jumped up to the top of the rock, pulling me with him, "Plus, I'm the reason she needs surveillance. You said she was going to die because of me, and I said I was going to prevent it. That means I have to watch out for her, all the time. There could be a house fire, or home invasion. With her luck, it would be something that humans wouldn't be able to rescue her from, so I need to be there."

_Twisty twisty_. I knew my previous prediction would come back to haunt me. I turned my back to his and looked out over the river, water as clouded as the overcast sky. _Fine, I'll watch out for her, but if something happens, Edward, I'm not going to let her die._

I felt him stiffen behind me. "Never mind then. She is not to be changed, Alice, not without her say so."

"So if she agrees to the change, then it's ok?"

"She'll never agree to the change, because she isn't aware of such a thing. And you are not to make her aware either. She can't know about us, Alice. Think of the ramifications!"

"That's ridiculous. You're going to take her to Seattle in a week's time. What are you going to talk about there? How are you going to explain all of the coincidences? Do you think she's an idiot, that she'll never question you again?" I shook my head and continued the rest of my diatribe in my head. _We all heard that conversation in the cafeteria. She knows something's not kosher and she's not the kind of person who just gives up._ _Don't forget _

Silence stretched between us, but it was comfortable as we were back to our bickering. I saw that he was still going to go hunting with Emmett, confident that despite my threat, I would take care of her. Slumping forward with my chin on my bent knees, I stared ahead blankly, the water blurred to a black slash of interstate puddled with mirages. The sun flared, but it was muted by the tinted glass of the Mercedes. Jasper's blond hair peeked from beneath the back brim of a brown cowboy hat where he sat in the driver's seat; the passenger's seat was vacant.

"Do you often have visions without you in them?"

His voice was quiet, but I jumped just the same. _Without me…?_

"It was me in the backseat. You were seeing it from my perspective."

As the words left my lips I realized this wasn't the first time that vision had come. It took me a minute to remember when the last time I saw myself in the back of Carlisle's car; the smile popped to my face before I could stop it. I'd been happier then, but at that time I'd naively thought that we'd just about worked out our issues.

"Why do you think you've seen that before?" His voice sounded nervous, hesitant.

Before I could answer, Emmett's angry bellowing cut through my mind. I could see him stomping around on the porch, shouting for Edward and complaining that all of the good game would be hiding by the time they got to the park. An ultimatum was muttered, and it seemed that Edward would be hunting solo if he didn't return soon.

"If you leave now he won't even get a chance to finish saying that. Go on. I'll babysit her. Keep your cell on and I'll call you if I need to." The water glimmered dimly in the fading cloud-filtered light, I felt him shift and press a quick kiss to the top of my head.

"Thank you."

It was the most simple and honest thing he had said to me today.

* * *

Watching Bella Swan wasn't hard, especially since she seemed to work so hard at being seen. On Friday, Jasper, Rosalie, and I slogged our way through the typical school day. As the end of the school year approached, the lectures started to blend together. The charade became so tiresome that at lunch, Rosalie had reached her limit. She spent the entire hour perfectly mimicking Mrs. Goff's high sing-song voice and overdone accent. I laughed and joked when appropriate, but I focused most of my attention on Bella.

"Hola estudiantes. ¿Como están hoy?" Rosalie rolled her r's hard and Jasper smirked. His response was off the cuff and rather intricate, but spoken with an overtly flat American accent. My ears burned.

Bastante jodidos. ¿Estamos en la escuela, no?

The part of me listening snorted at the obscenity of the response.

Rosalie smothered a snicker, and retorted in perfect Goff-style. "Señor Hale, a nadie le impresiona su vulgaridad."

"Bueno, me imagino que será mayormente porque no tienen la menor idea de lo que acabo de decir. Para ser honesto estoy sumamente impresionado que usted me entendió."

Rosalie dissolved into laughter, and even I had to giggle. Jasper's grin cut from ear to ear, and for a moment it was like old-times; before Edward and his Pandora and the storm left in her wake.

Bella scrutinized our every move behind her heavy curtain of hair. Her hands fiddled with lunch equipment as she tried to hide her interest in our table. Her features had fallen immediately when she didn't see Edward. The attempts at clandestine observation amused me.

She turned her head and attempted to pay attention to the table whose occupants were abuzz with plans for a party at La Push Beach.

"I just don't know why Bella doesn't just sit with the Cullens from now on."

Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed Bella's misplaced attention. The towheaded Mallory girl sneered her comment to Mike Newton. I bristled, waiting for his response, but missed it when Jasper laid a concerned hand on my arm.

"I'm fine." The response was a bit more snappish than I intended, and he raised an eyebrow. A quick look over Rosalie's shoulder and he put two and two together, then frowned.

"He put you on lookout, didn't he?" He spoke low enough that Rose didn't hear.

My lack of response was as affirmative as a straight out answer. The lunch bell rang and Bella's friends raucously filed out, jabbering about their beach party and the fun they'll have. Bella hung back from the group to dodge Mallory and her crew.

I leaned over and pecked Jasper on the cheek and smiled brightly at Rosalie. He gave me a disapproving frown, but grabbed Rose's arm to walk her to class. I smiled gratefully; a distracted Rosalie is the easiest kind to work with. _I love you_, and with that thought I focused on all of the love I'd ever had for him, just so he would feel it down the hall.

I was off to tail the girl to biology, ensure she makes it to P.E. in one piece, and then hang around her little house until she gets up and goes to the party tomorrow. I shuddered at my infringement on Bella's privacy. _How does he not feel like a creepy lunatic?_

Ahh,love. It made the crazy seem normal…

* * *

"She's still suspicious."

Jasper rolled over on the bed to face me and waited for me to continue.

"She asked her father about Goat Rocks. When he explained why it would be a bad place for hiking and camping, she didn't explain further. In fact she diverted the conversation, claiming to have heard wrong. She's covering for us, but still digging for info."

"Have you seen anything that we should be worried about?"

I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue. "Would I hide something that serious from you?"

He hesitated then shook his head. "No, I hope you wouldn't."

"Ouch. Your lack of confidence stings." I pushed him playfully, hoping it hid the real hurt there. The last thing I wanted was an argument. "Plu-oh!" I jumped to the side table as my phone rang in my head. A second later the shrill chiming filled the room.

"I told you I would call you if anything happened. I haven't called, so nothing's happened. Goodbye Edward." The phone snapped shut before he could get a word in edgewise. I held it, waiting for it to ring again. I wasn't disappointed.

"Quit calling me. She's at La Push and it's sunny, so there's nothing I can do today anyways. Go _hunt_ Edward, so you can get yourself home and stalk your own girlfriend." I pressed the end button and held it until the phone shut off. The recorded voice of my voicemail box echoed in my thoughts, warning me about the 137 messages that will await me when I turn the phone back on. I threw the phone in the bedside table drawer and jumped onto Jasper, pulling my shirt over my head in the process.

"There's a much better way to spend my time rather than agonizing over the fact that I can't babysit Edward's _girlfriend_ at the moment."

Jasper growled in agreement and pulled my lips to his.

* * *

Late Saturday evening I left a satiated Jasper in his study and went off to prowl around the Swan home. Bella lay on her bed, asleep despite the caterwauling blaring from the headphones. I sat on a branch in the tree outside her window, and swung my legs to relieve the sudden attack of boredom. Pulling myself completely onto the limb, I leaned against the trunk and closed my eyes: my attempt at focus, a mockery of Bella locked in the land of nod. Jasper and I hadn't spoken about my slip of the tongue since the night it happened, and it was nice to have a moment alone where I could contemplate without setting anyone off.

So many southern states, but I could eliminate New Mexico and Arizona seeing as it was doubtful they were states yet when I was born. Maybe my family had a beach house in the Carolinas, or they were like Emmett's big hill family, but in Arkansas. I could have been a Tennessee debutante or a Virginian farmer's daughter; the fanciful dreams took over my mind and pushed the smaller flickers and flashes aside. Minutes slipped into hours and those hours summoned the dawn, as soggy and dismal as only dawn in Forks could be. Bella would be up soon, and there was cleaning up to attend to _chez moi_. I thought about popping home for a quick shower and change.

She moved as I started to swing down from the branch, her quilt and sheets rustling against each other. A frightened whimper followed, so I pulled myself back up and onto the limb. _She's dreaming._ I stood stock-still and stared, partially in fascination, partially in envy. Tendrils of hair laid in a tangle across her face and fanned back on her pillow. The snarl grew thicker as she tossed and turned on the bed. One of my hands crept up to worry the chaotic mess above my ear, and I realized how much I wanted to smooth back her hair, to soothe her. Even in sleep, her face was frightened and confused. The powerless feeling in me grew, until she jerked upright in bed and screamed out.

I dropped like a stone from the branch, the thud of my landing luckily synchronizing with the crash of her CD player as it fell from her bedside table to the floor. I couldn't wait around and see if she was alright; I may have already been spotted. _Home, home, home_. My mind chanted, but I was afraid to risk leaving her. _Edward would kill me_. It would be for such a short time, twenty minutes at the most. How much trouble could she get into in such a short amount of time? A quick peek told me that nothing dire lurked in Bella's future. The shower called and I answered affirmatively in relief.

Jasper was out when I got home, so I was greeted instead by a note in his fine hand letting me know two more buyers had called from Seattle and would like a meeting Monday evening. I took the quickest shower imaginable, and threw on my oldest pair of jeans and a dark sweater. Before I could decide which boots to step into, a vision of Bella wandering in the forest by her home popped into my mind.

"Damnation girl, can't you just stay put for moment?" The muttering was loud enough to be heard downstairs, even camouflaged by the ungraceful thumps as I hopped into a pair of hiking boots. I needed something with better traction and less flash than the Fendis.

I had about ten minutes to get back. Possible, but improbable, as it was bright enough to notice a tiny blur running along the road. Instead I kept to the forest, which took me a good ten miles out of my way. By the time I found her, Bella sat on a downed tree deep in thought. Her face ran a gamut of emotions, and I stood quietly behind a giant spruce, a witness to the fear that froze her features as she opened her eyes.

I knew then that she'd put some of the pieces together._ But how many?_ My phone hummed in my back pocket, no doubt Edward calling for yet another update. As loud as a hive of bees, I cringed as the buzz seemed to echo through the sodden forest. Bella didn't notice however. Her posture relaxed at the sight of the trail, and she got up and slowly walked out of the forest. I hung behind until she went into her house. By then my phone had rung five times with voicemails left each time. I flipped open the phone and punched the send button twice.

"That was ridiculous, YOU are absurd, and I'm going home." Again, I didn't give him a chance to respond. Instead of waiting for the callback which I knew he would try, I turned off my phone and stalked off into the woods, leaving Bella to her own devices.

Now I had to go look and try to see what dots Miss Swan had connected.


End file.
